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:

• Airliners.net sample photo: medium large
• Airliners.net sample photo: medium large

Other Spotting Locations

Playa de Pinones (Pinones Beach)

Playa de Pinones or Pinones Beach is an excellent location, since goers can enjoy the beach and get in the water, but most importantly, this beach is within inches of the airport, so spotters can enjoy watching airplanes take off while bathing. There is also a small security gate right in front of Pinones beach. Spotters can go and look at airplanes there for a few minutes, a few feet away from the actual runway, basically leaving the spotters face to face with the aircraft. But do not stay longer than a couple of minutes at this spot if you do not want to attract security.

Isla Verde and El Condado

Some of the hotels in nearby Isla Verde and in El Condado also provide excellent spotting locations from their room balconies.

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

Allegiant Airlines is scheduled to begin service from Orlando/Sanford on December 14th, and will operate on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Allegiant Airlines will also begin service from Cincinnati and Pittsburg on December 17th, and will operate once per week on Saturdays.

Commercial Airlines, Aircraft, and Terminal

Airline	Aircraft	Terminal
Air Canada (operates seasonal routes on weekends)	A319, A320, A321	B
Allegiant Airlines (service starts in mid-December)	A319, A320	B
American Airlines	A321, 737-800, 757-200, 767-300 (occasional), 777-200 (occasional)	B
Avianca	A319	B
Copa Airlines	Embraer E190	B
Delta Air Lines	737-800, 737-900ER, 757-200, 767-300	B
JetBlue Airways	A320, A321, Embraer E190	A
Southwest Airlines	737-300, 737-700, 737-800	B
Spirit Airlines	A320, A321	B
United Airlines	737-800, 737-900	B

Cargo

• Amerijet B727-200
• ABX Air B767-200
• Capital Cargo B757-200
• FedEx A300, DC-10, MD-11
• Roblex Aviation Shorts 360
• Tampa Cargo B767-300
• UPS A300, MD-11

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.