Queen Beatrix International Airport

Queen Beatrix International Airport Template:Airport codes (Template:Langx; Template:Langx) is an international airport located in the Dutch Caribbean island of Aruba. It has flight services to the United States, Canada, several countries in the Caribbean, the northern coastal countries of South America, as well as some parts of Europe, notably the Netherlands. It is named after Beatrix of the Netherlands, who reigned as Queen of the Netherlands from 1980 to 2013.

Overview

Template:Unreferenced section The airport offers United States border preclearance facilities.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The airport originally served as main hub for Air Aruba until its bankruptcy in 2000. Before Aruba's separation from the Netherlands Antilles in 1986 it was also one of three hubs for ALM Antillean Airlines as well as home base for Tiara Air until 2016.

A terminal for private aircraft opened in 2007.

Since 2013 the airport is home to Aruba Airlines. The airline has three Airbus A320 family aircraft and two Bombardier CRJ200. The main focus of Aruba Airlines is connecting the region through its hub.

History

The airport in 1973

In 1934, Manuel Viana launched a weekly mail and passenger service between Aruba and Curaçao, with A.J. Viccellio piloting Loening C-2H Air Yacht PJ-ZAA from a mud-flat runway. Commercial services were taken over by KLM from 24 December 1934. LaterTemplate:When they were transferred to a graded runway known as the KLM field.<ref name="aruba airport">Template:Cite web</ref> KLM's Snip, the PJ-AIS a Fokker tri-motor, ushered in the scheduled flying age in Aruba on 19 January 1935. Together with the KLM's “Oriol”, the PJ-AIO, also a three-engine Fokker, they flew until 1946, after which they were scrapped. On its bi-weekly Aruba-Curaçao operations, KLM transported 2,695 passengers on 471 flights.<ref name="aruba airport"/>

During World War II, the airport was used by the United States Army Air Forces Sixth Air Force defending Caribbean shipping and the Panama Canal against German submarines.<ref name="aruba airport"/> The airfield was renamed Dakota Field; the terminal facilities became Dakota Airport.<ref name="aruba airport"/> Flying units assigned to the airfield were:

• 59th Bombardment Squadron (9th Bombardment Group) 14 January-24 September 1942 (A-20 Havoc)
• 12th Bombardment Squadron (25th Bombardment Group) 10 October 1942 – 23 November 1943 (B-18 Bolo)
• 22d Fighter Squadron (36th Fighter Group) 2 September 1942 – April 1943 (P-40 Warhawk)
• 32d Fighter Squadron (Antilles Air Command) 9 March 1943 – March 1944 (P-40 Warhawk)

On 22 October 1955, the airport was named after Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands during a royal visit. It was renamed in 1980 after her accession to the throne.<ref name="aruba airport"/>

On 3 March 2021, American Airlines celebrated its 50 years flying to and from Aruba.<ref name="American Airlines celebrates its 50 years service to Aruba">Template:Cite web</ref>

Aruba was late to implementing baggage handling advanced enough to relieve U.S.-bound passengers of the traditional legal requirement of physically walking their baggage through U.S. customs inspection. For several decades, this forced U.S.-bound passengers to undergo a time-consuming preclearance procedure: they had to check in baggage, pass through Aruba primary airport security screening followed by Aruba exit customs, then reclaim checked baggage, walk it through immigration and customs inspections at the Customs and Border Protection port of entry, recheck their baggage, pass through a secondary security screening in accordance with U.S. standards, and then proceed to their departure gates.

As part of Phase 1A of Gateway 2030, a massive airport expansion project, the airport built a new U.S. Check-In Terminal with sufficiently advanced baggage handling equipment, thereby relieving U.S.-bound passengers of the burden of reclaiming baggage and undergoing another screening. The first flights began from the new terminal on April 8, 2025.<ref name="Routes Online">Template:Cite news</ref>

Airlines and destinations

The air traffic control tower

The baggage claim area

Welcome sign

The non-USA departures building

Walkway to security and US pre-clearance facilities

Passenger

Notes

• Template:Note KLM's flights operate to and from Bonaire on selected days.
• Template:Note TUI Airlines Netherlands' flights operate between Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao on selected days. However, the airline does not have fifth freedom rights to transport passengers solely between Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao.
• Template:Note Winair's flights operate between Aruba and Sint Maarten via Curaçao on selected days.

Statistics

Busiest US routes from Aruba (2009–2010)Template:Citation needed

Rank	Airport	Passengers	Carriers
Template:Center	New York–JFK, New York	Template:Center	Delta, JetBlue
Template:Center	Miami, Florida	Template:Center	American
Template:Center	Newark, New Jersey	Template:Center	JetBlue, Continental/United
Template:Center	Atlanta, Georgia	Template:Center	Delta
Template:Center	Charlotte, North Carolina	Template:Center	US Airways/American
Template:Center	Boston, MA	Template:Center	JetBlue, Delta
Template:Center	Philadelphia, PA	Template:Center	US Airways/American
Template:Center	Washington–Dulles, VA	Template:Center	United
Template:Center	Chicago–O'Hare, Illinois	Template:Center	United, US Airways/American
Template:Center	Houston–Intercontinental, TX	Template:Center	Continental/United

Accidents and incidents

• On 13 January 2010, an Arkefly Boeing 767-300 (registration PH-AHQ), operating Flight 361 from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport to Queen Beatrix International Airport, declared an emergency after a man claimed to have a bomb on board. A struggle with the flight crew ensued, and the aircraft made an emergency landing at Shannon Airport, Ireland. Gardaí stormed the plane and arrested the man; he was taken to Shannon Garda police station. A passenger who had recently had surgery collapsed in the terminal while waiting for the continuation of the flight, and had to be taken to a local hospital. The replacement aircraft, PH-AHY, also a Boeing 767-300, continued the flight to Aruba. Template:Citation needed

See also

• Trams in Oranjestad

References

Bibliography

• Template:Cite book
• Template:Cite book

External links

• Official Website
• Template:NWS-current
• Template:ASN