Ponce, Aguadilla regional airports pass FAA inspections
The Mercedita international Airport in Ponce and the Rafael Hernández International Airport in Aguadilla received their respective Letters of Compliance after passing the Federal Aviation Administration’s annual inspection Puerto Rico Ports Authority Executive Director Joel A. Pizá-Batiz confirmed.
As part of the evaluation, the FAA inspected each facility individually earlier this month, including all systems, processes and procedures at both international airports, both during the day and night, to comply with the federal agency’s 14 C.F.R. Part 139, or the “Certificate of Compliance” to be able to operate as passenger airports.
The FAA’s Operational Compliance Certificates serve primarily to guarantee safety in air transportation, both for passengers and staff who works there, Pizá-Batiz said.
To land these certifications, each airport facility has to comply with strict operational and security standards, he said.
The inspection process, carried out over a two-day period at each facility, included interviews with management personnel, administrative inspection of the files and the Certification Manual, inspection of the movement areas within each airport, inspection of the condition of the pavement and markings, vehicle operation, lighting, wind and traffic indicators, inspection of rescue and fire control operations, inspection of fuel storage facilities, and inspection of night operations, among others.
