Providenciales International Airport

Providenciales International Airport (IATA: PLS, ICAO: MBPV), on the island of Providenciales in the Caicos Islands, is the main international airport serving the Turks and Caicos Islands, a British Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom. It is operated by Turks and Caicos Islands Airports Authority (TCIAA). The territory's other international airport is JAGS McCartney International Airport on Grand Turk Island. Currently, there are more than 12,000 commercial aircraft operations per year. Locally based air carriers interCaribbean Airways and Caicos Express Airways both currently operate respective hubs at the Providenciales International Airport.[3][4]

Providenciales International Airport
Summary
OperatorTurks & Caicos Islands Airports Authority
LocationProvidenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands
Hub for
Elevation AMSL15 ft / 5 m
Coordinates21°46′25″N 72°15′57″W / 21.77361°N 72.26583°W / 21.77361; -72.26583
Websitetciairports.com
Map
PLS is located in Turks and Caicos Islands
PLS
PLS
Location in Providenciales
PLS is located in Caribbean
PLS
PLS
PLS (Caribbean)
PLS is located in North America
PLS
PLS
PLS (North America)
Map
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
10/28 2,804 9,199 Asphalt
Statistics (2016-2017)
Passengers939,814
Source: DAFIF[1][2]

History

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  • According to the Official Airline Guide (OAG), in late 1978 Southeast Airlines was the only air carrier operating scheduled passenger service to Miami (MIA) with a flight operated three days a week flown with a Lockheed L-188 Electra turboprop airliner via two intermediate en route stops in Grand Turk and South Caicos. [5]
  • Air Florida was operating nonstop Boeing 737 jet service to Miami (MIA) in 1984.[6]
  • By 1985, Providenciales was being served by Cayman Airways with nonstop service to Miami being operated once a week with Boeing 727-200 jetliners[7] as well as by Atlantic Gulf Airlines which was flying British Aircraft Corporation BAC One-Eleven service nonstop to Miami and also direct to MIA via a stop in Grand Turk.[8]
  • Pan American World Airways (Pan Am) was also serving the airport in 1985 with Boeing 727-200 jet service nonstop to Miami twice a week.[9] The next year in 1986 British Caribbean Airways was operating nonstop service to Miami flown with a British Aerospace BAe 146-100 jet as part of its Tortola, British Virgin Islands - Providenciales - Miami route. In 1987, Pan Am was flying a "triangle" routing of Miami - Grand Turk - Providenciales - Miami four days a week with a Boeing 727,[10] and in 1989 Pan Am was operating three nonstop flights a week to Miami with Boeing 727-200 jets.[11] By 1991, Pan Am had increased its service to four Boeing 727-200 flights a week nonstop to Miami while at the same time Cayman Airways was operating two nonstop flights a week to Miami with Boeing 737-200 jets.[12]
  • In 1993–1994 Carnival Air Lines was operating two nonstop flights a week to Miami with Boeing 727-100 jetliners.[13][14]
  • American Airlines was serving the airport by 1994 with a single daily nonstop Boeing 757-200 flight from Miami while at the same time Turks and Caicos Airways Ltd., which was based in nearby Grand Turk, was operating Boeing 737-200 service from Miami five days a week either nonstop or via a stop in Grand Turk.[15] Three airlines were operating nonstop flights to Miami in early 1995: American was continuing to serve Providenciales with a daily Boeing 727-200 nonstop flight plus a Saturday only Boeing 727-200 nonstop, Turks and Caicos Airways was flying nonstop with a Boeing 737-200 four days a week and Gray Line Air was operating nonstop Convair 580 turboprop service nine times a week.[16] In 1999, American was operating daily nonstop Boeing 727-200 service to Miami while at the same time Bahamasair was operating nonstop Boeing 737-200 flights to both Miami and Nassau twice a week.[17] By 2001, American was operating three daily nonstop flights to Miami with Boeing 737-800 aircraft and was also flying a Saturday only nonstop to New York John F. Kennedy Airport with a Boeing 737-800.[18]
  • In 2023, the airport was nominally renamed the Howard Hamilton International Airport, however, the name Providenciales International Airport remains the dominant name used outside of official government sources.[19]

Facilities

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The airport is at an elevation of 15 ft (5 m) above mean sea level. It has one runway designated 10/28 with an asphalt surface measuring 2,807 m × 45 m (9,209 ft × 148 ft).[1][20] There were plans for the TCIAA to either extend or build a new terminal after having recently completed the extension of the runway, which currently stands at 2,807 m (9,209 ft) long. This project has now been completed and the renovation was finished by December 2014.[21][22]

Airlines and destinations

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Passenger

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AirlinesDestinations
Air Canada Montréal–Trudeau, Toronto–Pearson
American Airlines Charlotte, Miami
Seasonal: Boston, Chicago–O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, New York–JFK, Philadelphia
Bahamasair Nassau
British Airways London–Heathrow, Nassau
Caicos Express Airways Cap-Haïtien, Grand Turk, Kingston–Norman Manley,[23] Port-au-Prince, Santiago de los Caballeros, Santo Domingo–Las Américas, South Caicos
Delta Air Lines Atlanta, New York–JFK
Seasonal: Boston,[24] Detroit (begins 21 December 2024),[25] Minneapolis/St. Paul,[26]
InterCaribbean Airways Antigua, Cap-Haïtien, Grand Turk, Havana, Kingston–Norman Manley, Nassau, Ocho Rios,[27] Port-au-Prince, Puerto Plata, Santiago de los Caballeros, Santo Domingo–Las Américas, South Caicos
JetBlue New York–JFK
Seasonal: Boston
Southwest Airlines Orlando[28]
Seasonal: Baltimore[29]
Sun Country Airlines Seasonal: Minneapolis/St. Paul[30]
United Airlines Newark, Washington–Dulles
Seasonal: Chicago–O'Hare, Houston–Intercontinental
Virgin Atlantic London–Heathrow (ends 15 February 2025)[31]
WestJet Seasonal: Toronto–Pearson

Cargo

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AirlinesDestinations
Ameriflight Santiago de los Caballeros
Contract Air Cargo Miami, Santiago de los Caballeros
IBC Airways Miami
Skyway Enterprises Santiago de los Caballeros

References

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  1. ^ a b "Airport information for MBPV". World Aero Data. Archived from the original on 5 March 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) Data current as of October 2006.
  2. ^ Airport information for PLS at Great Circle Mapper. Source: DAFIF (effective October 2006).
  3. ^ "Inter Caribbean Flights | Route Map". interCaribbean Airways. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
  4. ^ "Turks and Caicos Flights | Turks and Caicos | Caicos Express".
  5. ^ 15 December 1978 Official Airline Guide (OAG), North American edition, Miami (MIA) flight schedules
  6. ^ http://www.departedflights.com, 15 January 1984 Air Florida route map
  7. ^ http://www.departedflights.com, 15 February 1985 Official Airline Guide (OAG), Miami flight schedules
  8. ^ http://www.departedflights.com, 1 November 1985 Atlantic Gulf Airlines route map
  9. ^ http://www.departedflights.com, 27 October 1985, Pan Am system timetable
  10. ^ http://www.departedflights.com, 1 February 1987 Pan Am system timetable
  11. ^ http://www.departedflights.com, 15 December 1989 Official Airline Guide (OAG), Miami flight schedules
  12. ^ http://www.departedflights.com, 1 October 1991, Official Airline Guide (OAG), Miami flight schedules
  13. ^ http://www.departedflights.com, 16 November 1993 Carnival Air Lines system timetable
  14. ^ Feb. 1994 OAG Pocket Flight Guide, North American edition, Miami flight schedules
  15. ^ 15 September 1994 Official Airline Guide (OAG) Desktop Flight Guide, North American Edition, Providenciales flight schedules
  16. ^ 1 January 1995 Official Airline Guide (OAG) Pocket Flight Guide, North American Edition, Miami flight schedules
  17. ^ http://www.departedflights.com, 1 June 1999 Official Airline Guide (OAG), Miami & Nassau flight schedules
  18. ^ http://www.departedflights.com, 2 April 2001 American Airlines system timetable
  19. ^ "Howard Hamilton International Airport Redevelopment - Turks & Caicos Islands Airports Authority (TCIAA)".
  20. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 22 May 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  21. ^ "Providenciales Airport Expansion Update". Turks and Caicos Tourism Official Website. 23 December 2013. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  22. ^ "Terminal Redevelopment Readies Providenciales Int'l for More Island Visitors | Airport Improvement Magazine". airportimprovement.com. November 2014. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  23. ^ "Caicos Express Airways Adds Kingston Service From mid-June 2023". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
  24. ^ "Delta Expands Turks & Caicos Service in 1Q24". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
  25. ^ "Delta NW24 Caribbean Network Additions". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
  26. ^ "Delta adds new MSP route headed to tropical location this winter".
  27. ^ "InterCaribbean Airways Launches Flights to Ocho Rios, Jamaica". 17 June 2022.
  28. ^ "Southwest Airlines Extends Flight Schedule with New International Options and Most-Ever Departures". 26 October 2023.
  29. ^ "Southwest to Introduce Flights from Baltimore/Washington". 6 March 2020.
  30. ^ "Sun Country Airlines Announces 18 New Nonstop Routes". Sun Country Airlines. 27 April 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
  31. ^ "Virgin Atlantic closing two more routes". headforpoints.com. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
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