Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport
| Continent: Central America and Caribbean | Country: United States | Region: Puerto Rico |
| Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport | |
| Location | San Juan, Puerto Rico |
| IATA code | SJU |
| ICAO code | TJSJ |
| Airport type | Commercial |
| Website | http://www.prpa.gobierno.pr/APMain.aspx |
| Overview map | Google Maps |
| Communications | |
| Tower | 132.05 257.8 |
| Ground | 121.9 348.6 |
| Clearance | 126.4 284.6 |
| Approach | 119.4(WEST & SW) 120.9(NORTH & EAST) 269.2(WEST & SW) 290.2(NORTH & EAST) |
| Departure | 119.4(WEST & SW) 120.9(NORTH & EAST) 269.2(WEST & SW) 290.2(NORTH & EAST) |
| ATIS | 125.8 |
| Departure | 123.0 |
Official Spotting Locations
Aeroparque
Location: Next to taxiway S, inside the airport grounds.
Availability: 10AM to 6PM, closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Equipment: Optimal range is between 35-200mm. Having more on the upper end could help.
Security: None! The spot is made precisely to keep you off the other locations.
Watch out for: Harsh lighting due to direction of the runway, and strong heat distortion.
Description: Aeroparque is an excellent location to begin. It sits right along taxiway S, the main taxiway that runs parallel to runway 8. However, it provides extremely limited visibility for runway 10 arrivals, and none for the departures.
The closeness is very good for those spotters that use flexible mid-range telephotos, but will severely handicap those that have high-end telephotos (especially those with lower ends higher than 70mm). On a 1.6x DSLR, 70mm will barely fit a 757 on taxiway S. Due to the direction of the runway, the lighting is extremely harsh, and spotters should take extra precautions about configuring their cameras properly for the harsh light.
Admission is free most days of the week. It's worth noting however, that on Sundays, a security guard sits in the parking lot handing out tickets for admission. When given one, you either have to buy at least $6 worth of food and drink while at the Aeroparque & give the stamped ticket to the guard upon exit, or pay a $6 fee upon leaving. Still, the charge is worth it for the quality of pictures possible from the Aeroparque.
Sample Photos:
Other Spotting Locations
Location
Locations to Avoid
Central Parking Lot
The airport's parking lot (multi-level) used to be an excellent spot until the construction of the new terminals began. Now the visibility of aircraft taxiing along H taxiway is highly limited due to the construction, and when runway 10 re-opens, the spot will be pretty much useless except for catching new angles of runway 08 departures. However, this will require large amounts of zoom (upwards of 300mm), and even then heat distortion might ruin anything that could come out of it.
Another consideration is that airport security patrols the parking lot occasionally, so being cautious is essential. Security tends to be a problem if the police downstairs notices too much activity going on in the top level. Aeroparque is a better spot when runway 10 is closed, and Laguna Garden is a viable alternative when it open.
Regular Traffic
Passenger
- Air Canada (weekends) A319
- American A300, 757, 767-300, occasional 777
- American Eagle ATR-72
- Cape Air Cessna 402
- Caribbean Sun Dash 8
- Continental 737-700, 737-800, 757-200, 757-300
- Copa 737-700, Embraer 190
- Delta 737-800 (weekends), 757, 767-300
- Iberia (Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday) A340-300
- JetBlue A320
- Northwest (Sundays) A320
- Spirit A321
- United/Ted A320
- US Airways A319, A320, A330, 757, 767-200
Cargo
- Amerijet 727-200
- FedEx DC-10
- Four Star Air Cargo DC-3
- Martinair Cargo MD-11
- Roblex Aviation Shorts 360
- Tampa Cargo (Sundays) DC-8
- Tol Air DC-3, CV-440
- UPS A300
Various charters on weekends, including Pan Am Clipper Connection, Miami Air, Thomsonfly, etc.
Facilities and Transportation
The Aeroparque has a snack bar on the lower level. Products available include chips, ice cream, soft drinks, beer, and some fast food items, such as Buffalo Wings, chicken strips, hot dogs, and french fries. A small selection of Gemini and Dragon Wings models are also available for purchase there.
The airport is on Metrobus routes B40 and C45. While no buses stop at the Aeroparque, you can take the bus to the main terminal. From there, the Aeroparque is a reasonably short walk.