Antonio Rivera Rodríguez Airport

Infobox Airport
name = Antonio Rivera Rodríguez Airport


IATA = VQS
ICAO = TJVQ
FAA = VQS
type = Public
owner = Puerto Rico Ports Authority
operator =
city-served =
location = Vieques, Puerto Rico
elevation-f = 49
elevation-m = 15
website =
r1-number = 9/27
r1-length-f = 4,301
r1-length-m = 1,311
r1-surface = Asphalt
stat-year = 2006
stat1-header = Aircraft operations
stat1-data = 16,425
stat2-header = Based aircraft
stat2-data = 34
footnotes = Source: Federal Aviation AdministrationFAA-airport|ID=VQS|use=PU|own=PU|site=53085.1*A, retrieved 2007-03-15]

Antonio Rivera Rodríguez Airport airport codes|VQS|TJVQ|VQS is a small commercial air facility on the island of Vieques, Puerto Rico. Because a large amount of Vieques' yearly revenue comes from the tourism industry, this small airport plays an important part in Vieques' economic outlook.

The airport has been for decades the hub of Vieques Air Link, and also a landing facility for a number of small airlines.

History

When anti-military demonstrators started flocking into Vieques, both by air and sea, in 1999, Vieques Airport saw a considerable increase to its normal yearly average of passengers. In addition, many celebrities who travelled from all over Puerto Rico and Latin America to join the protesters arrived at Vieques through this airport. When Carla Tricoli, a Vieques native, won the 2002 Miss Puerto Rico contest, her first flight as a beauty queen landed at Vieques Airport.

The airport does not accept jet aircraft, but a couple of international flights operate from it. Most of the commercial aviation operations are concentrated on domestic flights such as Vieques to Fajardo, Vieques to Isla Grande Airport and Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport, both in San Juan. Air ambulance flights to Fajardo are also available.

Early in 2005, plans were announced to expand the airport's lone runway, so that the airport can accept flights by smaller jets. This would be done in preparation for American Eagle to start operations to the airport. For unknown reasons that airline still has not commenced service to the airport and it remains unknown if such service will ever occur.

Airlines

*Air Culebra
*Cape Air (San Juan)
*Isla Nena Air
*Vieques Air Link (Fajardo, San Juan, St. Thomas [begins Winter 2007] )

References

External links

*US-airport2|VQS|TJVQ
**WAD|TJVQ