Mercedita International Airport
Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox airport
Mercedita International Airport<ref>Request for Qualifications. Puerto Rico Ports Authority. San Juan, Puerto Rico. 15 March 2019. Accessed 16 January 2020.</ref> (AIM)<ref>Ponce’s Mercedita airport ready to receive more passengers. Agustín Criollo Oquero. Caribbean Business. 24 April 2017. Accessed 16 January 2020.</ref> (Template:Langx) Template:Airport codes is an international airport<ref>Archived from the original, Act 141 of July 20, 2012 Senate Bill No. 9. Senate of Puerto Rico. Government of Puerto Rico. 20 July 2012, by the Wayback Machine.</ref> located three nautical miles (6 km) east of the central business district of Ponce, Puerto Rico.<ref name="FAA" /> The airport covers 270 cuerdas (approx. 262.2 acres) of land<ref>El Aeropuerto: otro diamante sin pulir Jason Rodríguez and Omar Alfonso. La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. Year 30. Issue 1480. Page 8. 11 April 2012. Retrieved 11 April 2012.</ref> and has one runway.<ref name="prpa.gobierno.pr">Template:Cite web</ref> It was inaugurated as an international airport on 1 November 1990.<ref name="prpa.gobierno.pr"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Terminal Building Improvements Template:Dead link Bids. Vol. 29, No. 14 (19 April 2010), page 747 (Bid No. 30-90; BPR No. 50602). San Juan, Puerto Rico: Industrial Publishers, 19 April 2010. Retrieved 23 April 2010.</ref> It was built with combined funds from the Municipality of Ponce and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.Template:Efn
Mercedita International is Puerto Rico's largest airport in terms of military personnel volume, the second largest in terms of military freight,<ref>Jose Valdes. Ponce Podria Administrar el Aeropuerto Mercedita (in Spanish). El Nuevo Dia. 12 November 1997.</ref> and the third largest in terms of scheduled commercial passenger traffic.<ref>Ports Authority invests $11.8M in infrastructure improvements at Ponce airport. News Is My Business. 16 August 2019. Accessed 16 January 2020.</ref> The airport is certified under part 139 of the Federal Aviation Regulations.<ref name="periodicolaperla.com"/>
As per Federal Aviation Administration records, there were 215,165 enplanements in fiscal year 2015–2016.<ref name="vocesdelsurpr.com">Template:Usurped Voces del Sur. vocesdelsurpr.com 13 August 2016. Accessed 26 January 2017.</ref> It is included in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015, which categorized it as a primary commercial service airport.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Mercedita was the only one of Puerto Rico's three international airports to see an increase in passenger flow in 2012.<ref>Fuera de peligro aeropuerto Mercedita. Omar Alfonso. La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 23 February 2013. Retrieved 26 February 2013 (Printed edition publication data: Recortes en la FAA: Fuera de peligro el Aeropuerto Mercedita. Year 31. Issue 1526. Page 14. 27 February 2013.).</ref> The municipality of Ponce has been attempting to gain ownership of the airport from the government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico as it believes local management of the airport will help the municipal and regional economy.<ref>Piden estudio para traspaso de Mercedita. Reinaldo Millán. La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. Year 30. Issue 1492. Page 14. 4 July 2012. Retrieved 6 July 2012. Archive on 2013-03-15, 16:33:08 at the Wayback Machine.</ref>
History
[edit]Early history
[edit]Built in 1939, Mercedita was originally a modest aerodrome used for the airborne irrigation of sugarcane fields belonging to Destilería Serrallés.<ref name="prpa.gobierno.pr"/> The airport took the name of the sugarcane plantation that it was part of, Hacienda Mercedita. The founder of the plantation, Juan Serrallés, had named his plantation in honor of his wife Mercedes.<ref>History. Destilería Serrallés. Ponce, Puerto Rico. Retrieved 6 March 2013.</ref> To commemorate this, a portrait of Mrs. Mercedes Serrallés was unveiled in the airport on 30 December 1992 by then-governor of Puerto Rico Rafael Hernandez Colon.<ref>Template:Cite web Template:Dead link</ref>
The takeoff/landing strip was then only Template:Convert long by Template:Convert wide.<ref name="prpa.gobierno.pr"/> During World War II it was turned into a military airport, and in 1947 the U.S. Navy ceded the airport to the Puerto Rico Ports Authority.<ref name="prpa.gobierno.pr"/> The airport officially started operations in April 1948.<ref>AirNav: Mercedita Airport. Information current as of 11 February 2010. Retrieved 4 March 2010.</ref>
In 1949, however, it was determined that the runway of what was then the Ponce Airport at the nearby Losey Field<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> (today, Fort Allen,<ref>Cristobal Colon. "A mis amigos de la Universidad Catolica" (in Spanish). Publicaciones Puertorriqueñas Inc. 1993. Page 71.</ref> Juana Diaz, Puerto Rico) no longer met the newer and more stringent minimum airport safety requirements, and airport operations were suspended. As a result, studies were initiated for the construction of a new airport at Mercedita Airfield.<ref name="prpa.gobierno.pr"/> A wall plaque inside the airport states the airport was built with funds from both the Government of Puerto Rico and the Government of the Autonomous Municipality of Ponce and that it was inaugurated in November 1955. It was officially inaugurated on 6 November 1955, via a day-long program of ceremonies and activities transmitted live via radio, and filmed for subsequent TV broadcasting. During the ceremonies, the project's engineer, Raul Gayá Benejám, made delivery of the new facilities to Salvador V. Caro, executive director of the Puerto Rico Ports Authority.<ref>Inauguracion del Aeropuerto Mercedita en Ponce: Programa. Program booklet. 4pp. Accessed 19 November 2020.</ref>
The first scheduled commercial flights at Mercedita occurred in 1965 when domestic flights started. International flights started in 1971.<ref>Ponceños pedirán control de Aeropuerto (in Spanish). La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 23 March 2012. Retrieved 26 March 2012.</ref> Meanwhile, Aerolineas de Ponce began services from Mercedita in 1966; the airline had a hub at the airport but soon had most of its flight operating from San Juan instead and changed its name to Prinair.
On 12 August 1981, an Air Florida plane with 125 Haitian refugees aboard landed at Mercedita en route to the Fort Allen facility in Juana Diaz, part of the 1981 Haitian refugees exodus.<ref>Fuerte Allen: calvario con rostro haitiano Carmen Cila Rodríguez. "El Sur en la Historia." La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 12 October 2011. Page 18. Retrieved 12 October 2011.</ref>
New airport
[edit]The airport has been enlarged on various occasions. One of the architects credited with the airport's construction is Raúl Gayá Benejam.<ref>Archivo y Centro de Investigacion Institucion Academica. Archivo de Arquitectura y Construccion de la Universidad de Puerto Rico. San Juan, Puerto Rico. Retrieved 13 July 2012.</ref> In 1962, Trade Winds started daily direct service to St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.<ref>Carmelo Rosario Natal. Ponce En Su Historia Moderna: 1945-2002. Published by Secretaría de Cultura y Turismo of the Government of the Autonomous Municipality of Ponce. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 2003. p. 43.</ref> One major construction project, in particular, took place in 1963 when the runway was extended from Template:Convert to 3,900 feet.<ref name="prpa.gobierno.pr"/> In 1967, a master plan was adopted for the systematic development of the airport. In 1971 the runway was again extended, to Template:Convert to allow for the use by Boeing 727 aircraft. In 1987 the runway was once again extended, this time to Template:Convert. The passenger terminal was also remodeled, a platform was built for use by general aviation as was a new building for the Air Rescue Unit of the Puerto Rico Police.<ref name="prpa.gobierno.pr"/>
1990s expansion work
[edit]In the fall of 1992, the runway was extended to make it possible for American Airlines to run flights to Miami, Florida. The cost of the expansion was $3 million. The expansion provided Template:Convert additional length, as well as Template:Convert additional width.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Also in the fall of 1992, the Puerto Rico Ports Authority spent another $6 million in improvements to the terminal building. These included an additional Template:Convert space in the baggage claim, immigration, customs, passenger waiting areas, vending areas, and Department of Agriculture installations.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The airport was formerly called Mercedita Airport, but on 1 November 1990<ref>Mensaje del Gobernador del Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico Hon. Rafael Hernandez Colon con motivo de la inauguración de la expansion del Aeropuerto Internacional Mercedita y el recibimiento de los primeros vuelos de las aerolíneas Eastern y Carnival, 1 de Noviembre de 1990. Ponce, Puerto Rico. Fundación Biblioteca Rafael Hernandez Colon. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 1 November 1990. Accessed 17 January 2020.</ref> it was inaugurated as "Mercedita International Airport" after addition of customs<ref>PSE (TJPS). U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. Aeronautical Information Services. Accessed 16 January 2020.</ref> and border control<ref>Ponce, Puerto Rico - 4908. US Department of Homeland Security. U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Accessed 16 January 2020.</ref> facilities.
2000s-2010
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After Ponce's mayor Rafael Cordero signed a contract to build a major seaport in the area, Mercedita's directors decided to expand the airport's runway to Template:Convert to accommodate anticipated growth in airline traffic.
On 17 June 2005, JetBlue began daily, non-stop service between John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York and Mercedita Airport. On 17 November 2005, Continental Airlines also commenced non-stop service between Newark Liberty International Airport and Ponce.<ref>Continental to start daily non-stop Newark/Puerto Rico service. American Shipper/Howard Publications, Inc. 23 August 2005. Retrieved 5 August 2012. Archived on 2015-10-16, 21:33:51 at the Wayback Machine.</ref> This service ended on 17 January 2008. On 3 June 2006, Delta Connection began servicing the airport, with twice-weekly, regional jet service to Atlanta, Georgia. The service ended on 20 January 2007. JetBlue has also added daily, non-stop service between Ponce and Orlando International Airport.
During 2007, more passengers passed through the airport than the population of the entire city of Ponce itself. "Ponce's Mercedita airport served 251,000 passengers in 2007, an increase of 28% over the previous year."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Passenger movement at the airport in FY 2008 was 278,911, a 1,228% increase over fiscal year 2003 and the highest of all the regional airports for that 5-year period.<ref>Air Transportation. businessregisterpr.com. 1 September 2009. Accessed 15 November 2009. Archived on 2009-09-01, 16:14:24 at the Wayback Machine.</ref> In February 2009, Ponce mayor María Meléndez sought transfer of the airport from the Puerto Rico central government to the Ponce Municipal government amidst discontent with the bureaucracy at the central government that could be avoided if the airport was locally managed.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Archived">Proyecto del Senado 405: LEY, Para transferir la jurisdicción del Aeropuerto Internacional Merceditas de Ponce, de la Autoridad de Puertos del Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico al Municipio Autónomo de Ponce. Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico. Senado de Puerto Rico. 16ta Asamblea 1ra Sesión. Legislativa Ordinaria. 20 February 2009. Accessed 26 March 2012. Archived on 2016-01-03, 02:40:41, by the Wayback Machine.</ref>
In early 2010, members of the Ponce Chamber of Commerce strongly criticized the Puerto Rico Ports Authority and its director Alvaro Pilar Villagran after failure to execute on a legally binding agreement of November 2008, whereby the Ports Authority agreed to an investment of $8 million to build an airport drainage system needed as part of any additional expansion work.<ref>Archived on 2011-07-15, 06:55:28, by the Wayback Machine from the Original. Jason Rodríguez Grafal. Revés para Aeropuerto Mercedita: Crece malestar por posposición de expansión. Ponce, Puerto Rico: La Perla del Sur. January 2010 (section: Noticias Locales). Retrieved 1 November 2010.</ref>
In 2010, the Puerto Rico Ports Authority announced an investment of $7 million to extend Mercedita's runway to Template:Convert. Construction began in February 2011.<ref>Jason Rodríguez Grafal. Con inversión de $7 millones: Luz Verde a la expansión del Aeropuerto (in Spanish). Ponce, Puerto Rico: La Perla del Sur (newspaper). 14 April 2010 (section: Noticias Locales). Retrieved 16 April 2010.</ref> In 2012 the Authority installed two boarding bridges among other terminal improvements.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Facilities and aircraft
[edit]Mercedita Airport covers an area of Template:Convert at an elevation of Template:Convert above mean sea level. It has one runway designated 12/30 with an asphalt surface measuring Template:Convert. Runway length includes Template:Convert displaced thresholds on Runways 12 and 30 respectively.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Most of the airport is located in Ponce's Vayas barrio, but the western end of the runway (west of Calle la Esperanza) extends into the Sabanetas barrio.
The airport is home to the southern aerial division of the Puerto Rico Police Department. It also has two heavy rescue vehicles.<ref>Template:Usurped Voces del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 25 March 2017.</ref>
Airlines and destinations
[edit]Passenger
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Temporary closure
[edit]The airport stopped handling scheduled commercial passenger flights on 23 March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Cargo flights as well as chartered passenger flights were not affected.<ref>Cierran Mercedita y desviarán tráfico aéreo al aeropuerto Muñoz Marín. Sandra Caquías Cruz. EsNoticia. 23 March 2020. Accessed 6 October 2020.</ref><ref>Reclaman prudencia antes de reabrir los aeropuertos regionales: En el caso del Aeropuerto Mercedita, la aerolínea JetBlue realiza vuelos diarios a Nueva York y Florida, dos de los estados con mayor número de casos de COVID-19 en los Estados Unidos. Jason Rodríguez Grafal. La Perla del Sur. 24 June 2020. Accessed 6 October 2020.</ref> Flights were scheduled to resume on 6 July 2020,<ref> Inician las operaciones en el aeropuerto de Ponce: A partir del 6 de julio. El Vocero. 23 June 2020. Accessed 6 October 2020.</ref> but that date was later revised to 5 August. However, that August 5 date was also later revised to 1 January 2021.<ref>Pospuestos para 2021 los vuelos comerciales en Aguadilla y Ponce: La Autoridad de los Puertos dio a conocer hoy que se reanudarán el próximo 1 de enero. El Nuevo Dia. 17 July 2020. Accessed 6 October 2020.</ref> During its closure, repairs were made to the airport's taxiway at a cost of $12.8 million.<ref>Inauguran ante-pista Alpha en el Aeropuerto Mercedita de Ponce: El "taxiway" tuvo un costo de 10.7 millones de dólares. Noticel, via CyberNews. 1 October 2020. Accessed 6 October 2020.</ref> It reopened on 1 April 2021.<ref>Completan obras en aeropuerto Mercedita. Sandra R. Marrero Caban. EsNoticia.com Year 5. Issue 138. 19 April to 4 March 2021. p.10. Accessed 19 April 2021.</ref><ref>Aeropuertos de Aguadilla y Ponce reactivan sus operaciones. La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico 1 April 2021. Accessed 2 April 2021.</ref>
Statistics
[edit]Traffic statistics
[edit]| Year | Passengers | % Change | Year | Passengers | % Change | Year | Passengers | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 40,656 | – | 2009 | 194,942 | Template:Decrease17.7% | 2017 | 189,143 | Template:Decrease18.4% |
| 2002 | 27,364 | Template:Decrease32.7% | 2010 | 207,467 | Template:Increase6.4% | 2018 | 201,260 | Template:Increase6.4% |
| 2003 | 19,681 | Template:Decrease28.1% | 2011 | 202,617 | Template:Decrease2.3% | 2019 | 218,753 | Template:Increase8.7% |
| 2004 | 20,732 | Template:Increase5.3% | 2012 | 205,647 | Template:Increase1.5% | 2020 | 42,528 | Template:Decrease80.6% |
| 2005 | 78,167 | Template:Increase277.0% | 2013 | 200,916 | Template:Decrease2.3% | 2021 | 64,198 | Template:Increase51.0% |
| 2006 | 196,445 | Template:Increase151.3% | 2014 | 201,645 | Template:Increase0.4% | 2022 | 230,691 | Template:Increase259.3% |
| 2007 | 249,044 | Template:Increase26.8% | 2015 | 206,815 | Template:Increase2.6% | 2023 | 298,334 | Template:Increase29.3% |
| 2008 | 236,898 | Template:Decrease4.9% | 2016 | 231,798 | Template:Increase12.1% | 2024 | 281,901 | Template:Decrease5.5% |
Top destinations
[edit]| Rank | City | Airport | Passengers | Airlines |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Orlando, Florida | Orlando International Airport (MCO) | 102,820 | Frontier, Jetblue |
| 2 | New York City | John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) | 34,700 | Jetblue |
Air service history
[edit]United States
[edit]United States air service history at Mercedita has been as follows:<ref name="prpa.gobierno.pr"/>
- In 1965, Eastern Airlines, together with Caribair, started direct connecting service at the airport. Airport starts the first scheduled domestic commercial service, providing service between Ponce and Mayagüez.<ref name="Archived"/>
- In 1971, Eastern Airlines held hearing in Ponce with the intention of starting non-stop service to the United States. The Puerto Rico Ports Authority, in anticipation of such service, extended the runway to Template:Convert to permit the landing of Boeing 727 aircraft. The airport starts the first scheduled commercial flights from Ponce to the United States.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- In June 1975, Eastern Airlines started a weekly direct flight to New York City with a stop-over in San Juan. In the same year the Puerto Rico Ports Authority built a new runway, access road, parking lot, and shoulder.
- In 1990, Eastern Airlines restarted operations to Ponce with a flight to New York, but it ceased a year later, in January, 1991.
- In 1990, Carnival Airlines also started operations in Ponce, and flew to New York and Miami until February 1998.
- Meanwhile, American Airlines started to fly to Miami from 1 November 1992. The flight ended on 12 September 1993 due to poor load factor<ref>Archived on 2018-06-12, 13:57:51, by the Wayback Machine from the Original, "Proximo a desaparecer el vuelo Ponce-Miami." (Press Release.) El Nuevo Día. 27 August 1993.</ref>
- On 17 November 2005, Continental Airlines began daily non-stop service from Newark Liberty International Airport and Ponce.<ref>Continental adds Newark-Ponce, Puerto Rico service. Travel Weekly. 23 August 2005. Accessed 30 July 2020.</ref> This service ended on 17 January 2008.
- In November 2007, Spirit Airlines started daily non-stop service from Fort Lauderdale. This service ended in September 2008.
- On 3 June 2006, Delta Connection began servicing the airport, with twice-weekly, regional jet service to Atlanta, Georgia. The service ended on 20 January 2007.
- JetBlue started service to New York in June 2005. Some time later it also started flying to Orlando and Fort Lauderdale<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Intra-island
[edit]In addition, several carriers have flown intra-island from Ponce:<ref name="prpa.gobierno.pr"/>
- During the 1970s, the airport had extensive domestic daily service by Prinair. Prinair flew to Ponce until it ceased operations in 1984.Template:Citation needed
- American Eagle, operated by Executive Airlines, began service from San Juan to Ponce in 1986. The service ended in January, 2001.
- Cape Air offered service to San Juan from 2000<ref>Se fortalece Cape Air en Ponce y Mayagüez. El Nuevo Dia. 31 March 2009. Retrieved 27 June 2012.</ref> flying to Mercedita until 30 April 2011.<ref>Template:Usurped on 2013-03-15, 16:33:05, from the Template:Usurped "Suspenden subsidios a línea aérea en Aeropuerto Mercedita." El Sur a la Vista. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 30 April 2011. Retrieved 27 June 2012.</ref>
Freight
[edit]Federal Express and DHL they operated out of this airport for the distribution of surface freight.<ref name="prpa.gobierno.pr"/>
Accidents and incidents
[edit]- On 24 June 1972, Prinair Flight 191, which took off from Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, crashed while attempting to land at Mercedita Airport. Two crew and three passengers of the 20 on board died.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- On 1 July 2011, a Cessna 185 that was supposed to land at Mercedita airport with a family of five on board, registration number N8438Q, crashed while on its way from Culebra. One body was found in Humacao. The other four passengers are presumed dead.<ref>Miguel Rivera Puig. Hallan cadáver de tripulante Template:Webarchive (in Spanish). El Vocero. 4 July 2011. Retrieved 7 July 2011.</ref>
While not directly associated with this Ponce airport, it is worth noting that the first airplane accident in Puerto Rico occurred in Ponce on 2 December 1911.<ref>The Beginning of Aviation in Puerto Rico: 1911-1929. Accessed 14 October 2020.</ref> American airman Tod Schiever died while in an exhibition flight in Ponce, losing control of his plane at a height of 200 feet while making a turn and plunged into a sugar cane field.<ref>"Birdman Dashed to Death". The Gazette Times. Pittsburgh. 4 December 1911. p. 1.</ref> Another airman also taking part in the exhibition flight, George Smitt (sometimes spelled George Schmidt) completed his exhibition without any eventualities.<ref>Eduardo Neumann Gandia. Verdadera y Autentica Historia de la Ciudad de Ponce. 1913. p. 271.</ref>
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]References
[edit]Further reading
[edit]- Essential Air Service documents (Docket OST-1999-6592) from the U.S. Department of Transportation:
- Order 2005-3-2 (7 March 2005): selecting Hyannis Air Service, Inc., d/b/a Cape Air to provide essential air service (EAS) at Mayaguez and Ponce, Puerto Rico, for the two-year period through 30 April 2007; establishing an annual subsidy rate of $688,551, beginning when the carrier inaugurates service at Mayaguez; and establishing an annual subsidy rate of $622,056 for service at Ponce, retroactive to 1 January 2005.
- Order 2007-4-18 (20 April 2007): selecting Hyannis Air Service, Inc., d/b/a Cape Air to provide essential air service (EAS) at Mayaguez and Ponce, Puerto Rico, for the two-year period through 30 April 2007; establishing an annual subsidy rate of $688,551, beginning when the carrier inaugurates service at Mayaguez; and establishing an annual subsidy rate of $622,056 for service at Ponce, retroactive to 1 January 2005.
- Order 2009-3-1 (3 March 2009): re-selecting Hyannis Air Service, Inc., d/b/a Cape Air, to continue to provide subsidized essential air service (EAS) at Mayaguez and Ponce, Puerto Rico, for the two-year period beginning 1 May 2009, at the annual subsidy rates of $980,980 for Mayaguez and $740,416 for Ponce.
- Order 2010-12-31 (23 December 2010): requesting proposals, by 21 January, from carriers interested in providing essential air service (EAS) at Mayaguez, for a new two-year period beginning 1 May 2011, with or without subsidy. For several years, Mayaguez and Ponce have been handled under the same contract because the communities are on the same island, receiving service provided by the same carrier. However, with respect to this order, we are soliciting proposals for service to Mayaguez only. In addition to the service provided by Cape Air, Ponce receives subsidy-free jet service on a daily basis – one round trip to Orlando and one round trip to New York – provided by JetBlue, with 150-seat Airbus A-320 aircraft. That level of service far exceeds Ponce's EAS requirements; therefore, consistent with program practice, we will not seek proposals for replacement service at this time, but, rather, we will rely JetBlue's subsidy-free service to continue connecting the community to the national air transportation system. We note that Ponce's receiving subsidy free service does not change its status as an EAS community.
- Order 2011-4-24 (28 April 2011): granting the motions to file a petition for review of staff action of Order 2010-12-31, 23 December 2010, and upon review, denying their petition.