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Curaçao International Airport (IATA: CUR, ICAO: TNCC), (Dutch: Hato Internationale luchthaven) also known as Hato International Airport (formerly Dr. Albert Plesman International Airport), is the only airport for the island of Curaçao. The airport is located on the north coast of Curaçao, 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) from the capital Willemstad. Curaçao International Airport services flights from the Caribbean region, South America, North America and Europe and has the third longest commercial runway in the Caribbean region after Rafael Hernández Airport in Puerto Rico and Pointe-à-Pitre International Airport in Guadeloupe. The airport serves as a main base for Divi Divi Air, Jetair Caribbean as well as EZAir; it formerly served as a main base for ALM, KLM, DCA, DAE and Insel Air.

This article needs additional citations for verification. (July 2018)

Curaçao International Airport Hato International Airport Hato Internationale luchthaven
IATA: CUR ICAO: TNCC
Summary
Airport type	Public
Owner	Curaçao Airport Holding
Operator	Curaçao Airport Partners
Serves	Curaçao
Location	Willemstad, Curaçao
Hub for	Divi Divi Air Jetair Caribbean
Elevation AMSL	29 ft / 9 m
Coordinates	12°11′20″N 068°57′35″W
Website	curacao-airport.com
Map
CUR Location in Curaçao
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 11/29 3,410 11,188 Asphalt
Statistics (2021)
Passengers 830,145
Source: Curaçao Airport[1]

Located on the Dutch Caribbean island of Curaçao, the airport connects Europe, the Americas and the Caribbean. Curaçao International Airport is served by several airlines. It has one of the longest runways in the Caribbean, accommodating up to a Boeing 747. In the early fall of 2014, Curaçao International Airport opened a new General Aviation Center offering premier service in a separate building with a private entrance and exit and special amenities.

History

The airport was initially called Hato Airport, namesake to the nearby town of Hato. On Tuesday, 5 January 1954, the airport was renamed Dr. Albert Plesman airport. Plesman, director of the Royal Dutch Airlines for the Netherlands and Colonies, had died a few days earlier. Often it was spoken of Aeropuerto Plesman or Plesman Airport, unofficially also the name Hato remained in use till this day. Nowadays the official name is Curaçao International Airport. It will be unnecessary to set out in detail, of which it is of paramount importance, that the Dutch aviation industry gets a firm footing in the vicinity of the Caribbean sea, where air traffic is now becoming more and more a factor of economic significance.' - Albert Plesman With the above argument in March 1934 Albert Plesman, director of KLM, hoped to receive financial support from the Comité Vliegtocht Nederland-Indië. It was a new plan to head to the West. In the 1920s it started to interest itself in the Caribbean region. Curaçao was developing itself in a beneficial way due to the presence of the oil refinery and a growing number of people were starting to choose the region with the purpose of vacationing. Aviation companies were paying close attention to these developments and were researching if it was possible to create a connection between the United States, Curaçao and South America. The West Indische Gouvernement constructed a runway at the Hato plantation in Curaçao,

On 22 December 1934 the Snip plane arrived in Curaçao after an 8th day during trip with the route Amsterdam-Marseille-Alicante-Casablanca-Porto Praia-Paramaribo-La Guaria-Curaçao.

Hato was one of the most important and busiest airports in the Caribbean during the Second World War. The airfield was used by the US Air Force for patrols against submarines.

During the 1960s the 'Bestuurscollege' commissioned Netherlands Airport Consultants B.V. (NACO) to design a Master plan for the airport. This assignment was in connection with the expected arrival of the Boeing 747. The 'Jumbo' first flew on 9 February 1969.

Curaçao International Airport N.V. (Curinta) was founded in 1977 and operated the Airport until 2013. Its predecessor was the 'Luchthavenbedrijf', which was a department of the Government of Curaçao.

World War II

During World War II, the airport was used by the United States Army Air Forces Sixth Air Force conducting antisubmarine patrols. Flying units using the airfield were:

• 59th Bombardment Squadron (VI Bomber Command) 10 March 1942 – 13 July 1943 (A-20 Havoc)
• 32d Fighter Squadron (36th Fighter Group, Antilles Air Command, XXVI Fighter Command) 9 March 1943 – 13 March 1944, (P-40 Warhawk)
• Detachment operated from: Dakota Field, Aruba, 9 March 1943 – 9 March 1944
• Detachment operated from: Losey Army Airfield, Puerto Rico, 9 March – 4 June 1944
• 25th Bombardment Group (VI Bomber Command), 1 August – 5 October 1943

Airport Expansion Project

Curaçao Airport Partners (CAP) started off the expansion and visible enhancement of Curaçao International Airport as part of the Airport Expansion Project:

1. 2014: Enhancement and expansion of the Check-In area and airport boulevard.
2. 2016: Groundbreaking Ceremony of the Curaçao International Airport Terminal Expansion Project.
3. 2016: Inauguration Arrivals Hall and inauguration of airport food&beverages services and stores. CAP now also provides a safer landside flow, as the 'road' right in front of the airport has been adjusted into a boulevard for pedestrians. Families, kids, airport employees and users can safely enjoy this area of the airport, while having a clear overview of the surroundings.
4. Spantenbier Terminal Expansion on 1 June.

The Spantenbier and Terminal Expansion

The Terminal Expansion Project is a crucial component of the Airport Expansion Project. The SPANTENBIER of the expanded eastern part of the terminal marks yet another important milestone in the Airport Expansion Project. Important partner in this development is governmental company Curaçao Airport Holding, which is also investing significantly in the realization of the Terminal Expansion Project. Following this milestone, we will continue with the development of the terminal, which when inaugurated, will have doubled the Departure waiting area. In addition to a more spacious area for arriving, departing and transit passengers, Curaçao International Airport will gain an additional bridge that will be able to accommodate process and offer services to large wide-body aircraft. In addition, a second Mirador will be placed on the expanded part of the Terminal, ideal for enjoying plane spotting with family and friends or for photography.

Economic and social impact

CAP realizes the impact the airport developments have on Curaçao’s economy, and as the airport operator is committed to jointly offer an enhanced and improved facility and service, positioning Curaçao as a more competitive airport in the Caribbean region.

The start date of the complete construction work for the Terminal Expansion Project [terminal and continuation with the expansion of the middle part of the airport] was the second Quarter of 2016. The end date of the complete construction work (including new immigration Departures area) is set in December 2018. The start date of the terminal expansion/bridge construction work was June 2016. The end date is set for January 2018. When the Terminal area is operational, CAP and CAH will have offered more space (double the capacity) in the waiting area with facilities that enhance the comfort and experience of the traveler as well as more shopping and food & beverage facilities. CAP will also be able to offer a 6th bridge for major wide body airplanes. Here after CAP will continue with the expansion which includes separate routes for arriving or transit passengers and a new spacious area for Departing Area Immigration among others.

The aim is to be able to process 2.5 Million travelers.

Investment

Curaçao Airport Partners (private company) invests 25 million dollars in the Terminal Expansion. CAH also invested an additional 10 million dollars in the Terminal Expansion Project.

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

Airlines	Destinations
Air Belgium	Brussels (suspended)[2]
Air Canada Rouge	Toronto–Pearson Seasonal: Montréal–Trudeau
Air Century	Santo Domingo–La Isabela
American Airlines	Miami Seasonal: Charlotte
Arajet	Santo Domingo–Las Américas
Avianca	Bogotá
Caribbean Airlines	Port of Spain
Copa Airlines	Panama City–Tocumen
Divi Divi Air	Aruba, Bonaire
EZAir	Aruba, Barranquilla, Bonaire, Medellín
Fly All Ways	Seasonal: Paramaribo
Jetair Caribbean	Aruba, Kingston, Medellín, Paramaribo,[3] Santo Domingo–Las Americas, Sint Maarten
JetBlue	New York–JFK
KLM	Amsterdam
Sky High Aviation Services	Santo Domingo–Las Americas
Surinam Airways	Paramaribo, Port of Spain
TUI fly Netherlands	Amsterdam
United Airlines	Seasonal: Newark
WestJet	Seasonal: Toronto–Pearson
Winair	Aruba, Bonaire, St. Maarten
Wingo	Bogotá

Cargo

This section does not cite any sources. (January 2021)

Airlines	Destinations
Ameriflight	Aguadilla, Aruba, Bonaire, San Juan
Amerijet International	Aruba, Miami
AerCaribe	Bogotá
Aerosucre	Bogotá
DHL Aero Expreso	Port of Spain, Panama City
Lineas Aereas Suramericanas	Bogota
Vensecar Internacional	Aruba, Panama City, Santo Domingo–Las Américas

Statistics

Movements	2018	2017	2016	2015
Passengers[4]	431,701	399,013	441,356	467,538

Top 10 Busiest routes out of Curacao International Airport (2018)[4]

Rank	Country	Passengers	% Total	% Change	Airlines
1	Netherlands	177.042	41,0%	11,0%	KLM, TUI fly Netherlands
2	United States	73.259	17,0%	20,0%	American Airlines, JetBlue
3	Colombia	23.593	5,5%	38,0%	Avianca, Copa Airlines
4	Canada	21.169	4,9%	11,0%	Air Canada, Sunwing Airlines, WestJet
5	Germany	18.536	4,3%	10,0%	Condor
6	Venezuela	16.081	3,7%	44,0%	Albatros Airlines, Avior Airlines, LASER Airlines
7	Aruba	14.060	3,3%	13,0%	Aruba Airlines, Divi Divi Air, EZAir
8	Brazil	13.229	3,1%	23,0%	Avianca, Wingo
9	Suriname	8.458	2,0%	9,0%	Fly All Ways, Surinam Airways
10	Belgium	7.400	1,7%	12,0%	TUI fly Belgium

Coast Guard Air Station Hato

Located at the west side of Hato Airport there are hangars for the two Bombardier Dash 8 Maritime Patrol Aircraft and two AgustaWestland AW139 helicopters of the Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard. This was, until 2007, a naval airbase of the Royal Netherlands Navy which operated the base for 55 years. With a wide variety of aircraft in the past years Fireflies, Avengers, Trackers, Neptunes, Fokker F-27's, P-3C Orions, Fokker F-60's and several helicopters. After the political decision to sell all Orions the airbase wasn't needed anymore.

The west end of the airport is a USAF Forward Operating Base (FOB). The base hosts AWACS and transport aircraft. Until 1999 the USAF operated a small fleet of F-16 fighters from the FOB.

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556.

External links

Media related to Hato International Airport at Wikimedia Commons

• Airport information for TNCC at Great Circle Mapper. Source: DAFIF (effective October 2006).
• Accident history for CUR at Aviation Safety Network

На других языках

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[de] Flughafen Curaçao

Der Curaçao International Airport (frühere Namen: Hato International Airport, Dr. Albert Plesman International Airport; IATA-Code: CUR, ICAO-Code: TNCC) ist ein internationaler Flughafen bei Willemstad auf der Insel Curaçao.

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- [en] Curaçao International Airport

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[es] Aeropuerto Internacional Hato

El Aeropuerto Internacional Hato (IATA: CUR, OACI: TNCC) se ubica en la isla de Curazao a pocos minutos de la capital Willemstad. Posee una cantidad considerable de vuelos principalmente a los Estados Unidos, Colombia y los Países Bajos.

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[fr] Aéroport international de Curaçao

L'aéroport international de Curaçao (code IATA : CUR • code OACI : TNCC), également nommé aéroport international Hato (en papiamento : Aeropuerto Internashonal Hato), est le principal aéroport de l'île néerlandaise de Curaçao, dans les Caraïbes. Implanté en bord direct de mer, au nord-ouest de Willemstad, ses vols desservent la région caribéenne, les Amériques et l'Europe. Utilisé par les forces armées américaines durant la Seconde Guerre mondiale, l'aéroport dispose d'une piste de 3 410 mètres en asphalte, d'une tour de contrôle et d'un unique terminal civil inauguré en 2006, d'une capacité annuelle de 1,6 million de passagers.

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[it] Aeroporto Internazionale di Hato

L'Aeroporto Internazionale di Hato (IATA: CUR, ICAO: TNCC) è uno scalo aeroportuale situato nei pressi di Willemstad nell'isola di Curaçao, nelle ex Antille Olandesi.

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