| Mercedita Airport | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| IATA: PSE – ICAO: TJPS – FAA LID: PSE | |||
| Summary | |||
| Airport type | Public | ||
| Owner | Puerto Rico Ports Authority | ||
| Serves | Ponce, Puerto Rico | ||
| Location | Ponce, Puerto Rico | ||
| Elevation AMSL | 29 ft / 9 m | ||
| Coordinates | |||
| Map | |||
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Mercedita Airport
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| Runways | |||
| Direction | Length | Surface | |
| ft | m | ||
| 12/30 | 6,904 | 2,104 | Asphalt |
| Statistics (2010) | |||
| Aircraft Operations | 11,315 | ||
| Passenger Movement | 207,467 (2,010) | ||
| Based Aircraft | 33 | ||
| Source: Federal Aviation Administration[1] Passengers from the Puerto Rico Ports Authority |
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Mercedita Airport (IATA: PSE, ICAO: TJPS, FAA LID: PSE) is a commercial airport located three miles (5 km) east of the central business district of Ponce, Puerto Rico. The airport covers 275 acres (111 ha) and has one runway.[2] Passenger movement at the airport in FY 2008 was 278,911, an astounding 1,228% increase over fiscal year 2003 and the highest of all the regional airports for that 5-year period.[3] As of November 15, 2009, negotiations were underway to transfer control of the airport from the Puerto Rico Ports Authority to the Ponce municipal government.[3] It was inaugurated as an international airport on November 1, 1990.[2][4][5] Mercedita is Puerto Rico's largest airport in terms of military personnel volume and the second largest in terms of military freight.[6] On 12 August 1981, an Air Florida plane with 125 Haitian refugees aboard landed at Mercedita enroute to the Fort Allen facility in Juana Diaz, part of the 1981 Haitian refugees exodus.[7]
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Built in 1939, Mercedita was originally a modest aerodrome used for the airborne irrigation of sugarcane fields belonging to the Serralles distillery.[2] 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.[8] To commemorate this, a portrait of Mrs. Mercedes Serralles was unveiled in the airport on December 30, 1992, by then-governor of Puerto Rico Rafael Hernandez Colon.[9]
The takeoff/landing strip was then only 850 feet (260 m) long by 50 feet (15 m) wide.[2] 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.[2] The airport officially started operations in April, 1948.[10]
In 1949, however, it was determined that the runway of the Ponce Airport at the nearby Losey Field[11] 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 in Ponce.[2]
Since then and until today, the airport has been enlarged on various occasions. One major construction project, in particular, took place in 1963 when the runway was extended from 3,000 feet (910 m) to 3,900 feet.[2] In 1967, a master plan was adopted for the systematic development of the airport. In 1971 the runway was again extended, to 5,000 feet (1,500 m) to allow for the use by Boeing 727 aircraft. In 1987 the runway was once again extended, this time to 6,900 feet (2,100 m). 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.[2]
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 1,900 feet (580 m) additional length, as well as 50 ft (15 m) additional width.[12] 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 14,500 square feet (1,350 m2) space in the baggage claim, immigration, customs, passenger waiting areas, vending areas, and Department of Agriculture installations.[13]
International air service history at Mercedita has been as follows:[2]
In addition, several carriers have flown intra-island from Ponce:[2]
Federal Express and DHL operate out of this airport for the distribution of surface freight.[2]
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 8,000 ft (2,438 m) to accommodate anticipated growth in airline traffic.
On June 17, 2005, JetBlue Airways began daily, non-stop service between John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York and Mercedita Airport. Shortly after this announcement, Continental Airlines also commenced non-stop service from Newark Liberty International Airport and Ponce. This service ended on January 17, 2008. On June 3, 2006, Delta Connection began servicing the airport, with twice-weekly, regional jet service to Atlanta, Georgia. The service ended on January 20, 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 percent over the previous year."[16]
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 bureocracy at the central government that could be avoided if the airport was locally managed.[17][18]
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.[19]
The Puerto Rico Ports Authority recently announced an investment of 7 million dollars to extend Mercedita's runway to 8,000 feet (2,400 m). Construction began in February 2011.[20] Also this year the Authority will be installing two boarding bridges among other terminal improvements.[21]
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| JetBlue Airways | New York–JFK, Orlando |
The Airport is also home of the southern aerial division of the Puerto Rico Police Department.
Realtime departures and arrivals information is available online.[22] Airport Passenger Boarding Bridges are installed in Mercedita Airport Installation Started on November 11 2011 by Victor's Heavy Equipment Airport System (a Puerto Rican Company) the new Passenger Boarding Bridges were Manufactured by ThyssenKrupp Airport Systems inc. in Fort Worth Texas and installation was Completed on December 9 2011
On June 24, 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.[23][24]
On July 1, 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.[25]
In February 2009, the mayor of Ponce sought to transfer ownership of the airport from the central government in San Juan to the Ponce municipal government.[26]
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