Passenger traffic at Aguadilla airport moving at brisk pace
The Rafael Hernández Airport in Aguadilla registered a record number of passengers through. October, beating the total number of arrivals during the 12 months of 2018, Puerto Rico Tourism Company Executive Director Carla Campos said.
So far, 617,000 passengers have arrived at this northwest airport, exceeding the 608,000 reached during the full year 2018, without factoring in the months of November and December, which mark the start of the island’s peak tourism season.
“This new record represents a historic moment for the Porta del Sol region by beating the annual record, three months before the end of 2019,” Campos said.
“We thank the airlines for their commitment and for betting on the growth of air access in Porta del Sol through Aguadilla,”said Campos, acknowledging the team work among the Tourism Co., the Ports Authority, government and municipal agencies, airlines, and operators and dealers that provide services, both to the airport and to visitors.
JetBlue, United, Spirit, Skyhigh and Prinair airlines have expanded their operations and increased their flight frequencies to the island’s second-largest airport during this year. Currently, these airlines provide service to the destinations including New York, Newark, Orlando, Ft Lauderdale and the Dominican Republic.
“Once again we surpassed the previous record of 608,831 passengers in Aguadilla. We continue working to maximize the use of our assets and, in the case of the Aguadilla airport, we continue to invest in improvements that allow us to bring more airlines and flight frequencies,” said Ports Authority Executive Director Anthony Maceira Zayas.
The Rafael Hernández International Airport has been targeted for improvements in recent years, including projects such as the establishment of a modern, new control tower, new air rescue facilities and the start of operations of new maintenance companies in the aviation industry.
Several major improvements to the passenger terminal have also been made this year and there is a permanent improvements project underway for the runway, as well as the planned remodeling and redistribution of areas in the passenger terminal and the inauguration of a new Tourism Co. office in the terminal.
“We’re ready to continue promoting tourism development in all regions of the island and continue to welcome more visitors in the coming years,” Campos said.
