Editing Hewanorra International Airport (section)

== History ==
{{Main|Beane Air Force Base}}
Hewanorra International Airport was originally named '''Beane Army Airfield''' and was used as a military airfield by the [[United States Army Air Forces]]' [[Sixth Air Force]] during [[World War II]]. Beane Field was activated in early 1941 with a mission to defend Saint Lucia as well as the Caribbean region against an enemy attack.  It was subsequently renamed '''[[Beane Air Force Base]]''' and was operated by the [[U.S. Air Force]] before being closed in 1949.

The former military airbase was then refurbished and converted into a [[commercial airport]]. There is a disused northeast–southwest runway north of the main east–west runway that was part of the military airfield. It is in poor condition, along with a few dispersal pads.

The name of the airport is an Amerindian word meaning "(land of the) [[iguana]]".
<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://mls.lc/RealEstate/History.aspx |title = History of St Lucia &#124; Famous St Lucians &#124; MLS St Lucia}}</ref>

===Historical airline service===
[[BWIA West Indies Airways]] (BWIA) introduced [[Boeing 727-100]] "Sunjet" service into the airport in 1965 flying a round trip routing of [[Port of Spain, Trinidad]] - [[Barbados]] - St. Lucia - [[San Juan, Puerto Rico]] - [[Kingston, Jamaica]] - [[Montego Bay]] - [[Miami]] once a week.<ref>http://www.timetableimages.com, Dec. 15, 1965 BWIA timetable</ref> By 1971, BWIA was operating [[Boeing 707]] jet service on a round trip routing of Port of Spain - St. Lucia - [[Antigua]] - [[New York JFK Airport]] twice a week.<ref>http://www.timetableimages.com, July 1, 1971 BWIA timetable</ref>

The [[Official Airline Guide]] (OAG) lists three airlines operating jet service into the airport during the mid and late 1970s: [[British Airways]], BWIA West Indies Airways (operating as BWIA International at this time), both flying Boeing 707 aircraft, and [[Eastern Airlines]] flying Boeing 727-100 aircraft.<ref>http://www.departedflights.com, April 15, 1975 & Nov. 15, 1979 editions, Official Airline Guide (OAG), St. Lucia, West Indies (UVF) flight schedules</ref><ref>Feb. 1, 1976 edition, Official Airline Guide (OAG), St. Lucia, West Indies (UVF) flight schedules</ref> According to the OAG, all three air carriers were operating jet flights into the airport from other islands in the Caribbean at this time with British Airways also flying nonstop and direct service into the airport from [[London Heathrow Airport]]. The Feb. 1, 1976 [[OAG (company)|OAG]] lists weekly nonstop Boeing 707 flights operated by British Airways from both Barbados and Port of Spain with these flights originating in London and also lists flights operated by Eastern with Boeing 727-100 service nonstop from [[Fort-de-France]], [[Pointe-à-Pitre]] and Port of Spain as well as direct, no change of plane 727 flights from San Juan and [[St. Croix]] with same day connecting Eastern service being offered four days a week from [[Atlanta]], [[Baltimore]], [[Boston]], [[Chicago]], [[Detroit]], [[Miami]], [[New York City]] and [[Pittsburgh]] via its Caribbean hub in [[San Juan, Puerto Rico]].<ref>Feb. 1, 1976 Official Airline Guide, North American edition, St. Lucia, West Indies (UVF) flight schedules</ref> Also in 1976, according to its system timetable, BWIA International was operating nonstop Boeing 707 service into the airport from Port of Spain twice a week as well as weekly nonstop 707 flights from both Antigua and Barbados with connecting 707 flights twice a week from New York City being operated via either Antigua or Barbados.<ref>{{Cite web |date=Sep 15, 1976 |title=BWIA International System Timetable Fall Schedules |url=https://www.timetableimages.com/ttimages/bw/bw7609/bw7609-3.jpg |website=Airline Timetable Images}}</ref>

British Airways and BWIA International were serving the airport with wide body jetliners in 1993 with British Airways operating [[Boeing 747-200]] aircraft and BWIA operating [[Lockheed L-1011 Tristar]] series 500 aircraft.<ref>Oct. 1, 1993 edition, Official Airline Guide (OAG) Worldwide edition, St. Lucia, West Indies (UVF) flight schedules</ref> According to the OAG, BWIA International was operating nonstop service from [[Frankfurt]], Germany and [[London Heathrow Airport]] as well as direct one stop service from [[Zürich]], Switzerland while British Airways was operating direct one stop service from [[London Gatwick Airport]] at this time.

In 1994, [[American Airlines]] was operating daily direct [[Boeing 727-200]] service from [[Washington Dulles Airport]] via a stop at [[San Juan, Puerto Rico]], as well operating nonstop [[Boeing 757-200]] service on the weekends from [[New York Kennedy Airport]]. [[Leisure Air]] also operated a nonstop flight from New York JFK Airport once a week with an [[Airbus A320]], while BWIA was operating direct [[McDonnell Douglas MD-80]] flights three days a week from [[Miami]] via a stop at [[Antigua]].<ref>Feb. 1, 1994 edition, Official Airline Guide (OAG) Pocket Flight Guide, St. Lucia (UVF), Antigua & San Juan flight schedules</ref> By the next year, American was operating larger [[Boeing 767-300]] wide body jetliners on its weekend nonstop service from [[New York JFK Airport]] in addition to daily direct wide body [[Airbus A300]] service from New York JFK via an intermediate stop in San Juan, Puerto Rico, while British Airways was operating nonstop Boeing 747-200 service from both Antigua and Barbados several days a week with these services originating at [[London Gatwick Airport]].<ref>April 2, 1995 OAG Desktop Flight Guide, North American edition, St. Lucia, West Indies (UVF) flight schedules</ref> Also in 1995, BWIA was operating nonstop [[McDonnell Douglas MD-80]] service from New York JFK Airport four days a week, as well as direct MD-80 flights four days a week from Miami via a stop in Antigua in addition to wide body [[Lockheed L-1011]] series 500 service nonstop from Antigua, Barbados and Port of Spain several days a week with these flights then operating continuing transatlantic service to either [[London Heathrow Airport]], Frankfurt or Zürich while [[Air Canada]] was operating weekend nonstop service from [[Toronto]] with Airbus A320 and wide body [[Boeing 767-200]] jets.<ref>Jan. 1, 1995 edition, Official Airline Guide (OAG) Pocket Flight Guide, St. Lucia, Antigua & San Juan flight schedules</ref><ref>April 2, 1995 OAG Desktop Flight Guide, North American edition, St. Lucia, West Indies (UVF) flight schedules</ref>