Las Américas International Airport

Las Américas International Airport Aeropuerto Internacional de Las Américas
Las Américas Airport Terminals view. Copa, Air Pullmantur in Terminal A, and American in Terminal B
IATA: SDQ – ICAO: MDSD
Summary
Airport type		Public
Owner		Government
Operator		Aeropuertos Dominicanos Siglo XXI S.A. (Aerodom)with their international airport Operator, Vancouver Airport Services, Ltd. (YVRAS)
Serves		Santo Domingo
Location		Boca Chica in Greater Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Hub for		Hub for PAWA Dominicana
Elevation AMSL		59 ft / 18 m
Coordinates		18°25′46″N 69°40′08″W / 18.42944°N 69.66889°W / 18.42944; -69.66889
Runways
Direction	Length		Surface
	ft	m
17/35	11,002	3,355	Asphalt
Statistics (2008)
Passengers			2,735,066
Source: Departamento Aeroportuario

"SDQ" redirects here. SDQ is also the former callsign of a TV station in Warwick, Queensland, Australia.

Las Américas International Airport (Spanish: Aeropuerto Internacional Las Américas-JFPG) (IATA: SDQ, ICAO: MDSD) is an international airport located in Punta Caucedo, near Santo Domingo and Boca Chica in the Dominican Republic. The airport is run by Aeropuertos Dominicanos Siglo XXI (AERODOM), a Dominican Republic-based private corporation, with a 25-year concession to build, operate, and transfer (BOT) 6 airports in the Dominican Republic.

Recently, the expressway leading from Santo Domingo to the airport (roughly 20 km east of the city center) was expanded and modernised. The new expressway crosses a new suspension bridge which spans the Ozama River, connecting traffic into the city's Elevated Freeway and Tunnel system onto the city's main street, Av. 27 de Febrero. A more scenic route following the coastal shore provides beautiful views of the Caribbean Sea and of the city. This secondary road crosses the Ozama River by means of a floating bridge, connecting traffic onto the Av. George Washington (el Malecón) which leads into the heart of the colonial city.

The airport is the second busiest in the country, after Punta Cana International Airport, and one of the largest in the Caribbean, handling 2.7 million passengers in 2008^[1] through its air terminal.

History

Las Américas Airport was opened in 1959^[2] as the official airport of Santo Domingo.

The official name of the airport was changed in 2002 to "Aeropuerto Internacional Las Américas- José Francisco Peña Gómez (AIJFPG)" but is most commonly referred to as "Las Américas International Airport", or locally, "Las Américas".

On February 15, 1970, a Dominicana de Aviación's DC-9 that was flying to Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, crashed, killing all 102 persons on board (see: Dominicana DC-9 air disaster).

Las Américas was the hub for Dominicana de Aviación, APA Dominicana International, Air Santo Domingo, and a number of other, smaller airlines. Currently, PAWA Dominicana and SAP Air are based there.

Las Américas also has served as a hub for airlines such as Aeromar Líneas Aéreas Dominicanas, Air Santo Domingo, Aero Continente Dominicana, and Queen Air.

The new Northern terminal

Northeastern airborne view of SDQ and its runway

This new terminal is complete and open for operations. It can accommodate four Boeing 747s simultaneously. This new terminal has four gates with boarding bridges, an air-conditioning system, and maintenance facilities for aircraft.

Runway

Las Américas' runway direction is 17/35. This runway is the largest in the country, and one of the largest in the Caribbean, with a length of 3,355 m. It can support an Airbus A380.The runway of SDQ was last renovated in June 2008.The old taxi-way was also renovated and converted into a full blown runway.

Terminals, airlines and destinations

Las Américas has 6 gates on the main satellite concourse (A), A1 through A6, which have a shared use. In the same concourse there is an American Eagle gate, A7. Other gate facilities are for the flights departing from a parking in the taxiway. back in the 1960s and 70s the airport used to be much smaller, The original building was half the sides of today's newest struture but with a still modern look.

Concourse B has 4 gates, B1 through B4, and an American Eagle's gate B1A. Terminal B is the newest and most modern in the country.

American Airlines is the major airline operating in Las Américas. It has 1 daily flight to New York (inbound / outbound), 8 flights to San Juan, 4 to Miami and two weekly to Boston. Delta has one weekly flight to / from JFK (recently announced several flights per week starting on summer 2009) and a daily flight to/from Atlanta. Iberia has a daily flight from Madrid, and Spirit Airlines has a daily one from Fort Lauderdale. US Airways has a flight on Saturday to / from Philadelphia. Air France also operates nonstop service to their Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG) hub several times each week. JetBlue has recently expanded operations from Santo Domingo with 5 daily flights to New York-JFK, 1 daily flight to Orlando, and 2 daily flights to San Juan, Puerto Rico. On June 18, 2009, JetBlue will open a daily nonstop route to Fort Lauderdale. In June 2008, Avianca opened Santo Domingo-Bogotá Route. New airlines and routes are expected to start flights as demand increases. The average number of daily flights out of Las Américas ranges between 28 to 45 flights.

Terminal A

Gates A1 through A7

Terminal B

American Eagle

Gates B1 through B4

Domestic Terminal

This Terminal is located next to the Cargo Terminal and is used for domestic flights and some private flights.

Cargo airlines

Accidents and incidents

• On April 20, 2008 Cubana de Aviacion flight 201, bound for La Havana, had to return to Las Americas, after reporting two of four engines were out of service, and one was on fire. The IL-62 landed without secondary problems into runway 17. All 117 passengers were without any injuries. The plane was in the air next day and landed La Habana with no problems as CUB201D.
• On February 7, 2008 American Eagle flight 5111 had to make an emergency landing in La Romana International Airport after departing from Las Américas International Airport to Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport at 11:30 am. The captain said that he had some problems with the right engine, and as they were approaching the La Romana zone smoke began to spray into the cabin. The captain spoke to La Romana's control tower and obtained permission to make an emergency landing there. The aircraft was an ATR-72-500.

• On November 12, 2001 American Airlines Flight 587, bound for Santo Domingo from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City, crashed into a Queens neighbourhood after takeoff, killing all the passengers and flight crew.

• On February 15, 1970 a Dominicana de Aviación DC-9 flying to Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico crashed, killing all 102 persons on board (see: Dominicana DC-9 air disaster).

External links

• Aeropuerto Internacional Las Américas-JFPG
• Airport information for MDSD at World Aero Data. Data current as of October 2006.
• FlightAware
• www.dominicanweather.info / Dominican Republic Weather Information
• www.dominicansearch.info / Dominican Republic Search Engine
• www.flydominicanrepublic.com / Dominican Republic Pilots Guide

References

v • d • e Airports in the Dominican Republic International Santo Domingo/Las Américas Intl · Punta Cana Intl · Santiago/Cibao Intl · Puerto Plata/Gregorio Luperón Intl · La Romana Intl · Samaná El Catey Intl · Barahona/María Montez Intl · Santo Domingo/La Isabela Intl · Samana/Arroyo Barril Intl Domestic Constanza/14 de Junio Natl · Samana/El Portillo Natl · Pedernales/Cabo Rojo Natl · Montecristi/Osvaldo Virgil Natl · San Juan de la Maguana Natl · Dajabón Natl · Sabana de la Mar Natl · San Pedro/Cueva Las Maravillas Natl · Field Azua Dominica · Boca Chica/Batey Luisa · Consuelo · Consuelo/Batey Anita · Cotui/Angelina · Cotui/San Miguel · El Valle · Enriquillo · Valverde/Esperanza · Higuey/Baigua · Jimani · La Romana/La Caleta · La Vega/El Ponton · Montecristi/Walterio · Monte Plata Batley J. Sanchez · San Cristobal/Los Montones · San Pedro/Ing. Quisqueya Closed Herrera International Airport  · Santiago Municipal Airport