Departure
98%
vs 95% ▲ 3
MY FS FLIGHTS
MY FS FLIGHTS
Fernando Luis Ribas Dominicci Airport, better known locally as Isla Grande Airport, is a busy single-runway general aviation field on San Juan Bay in the heart of Puerto Rico's capital. Once the island's principal international gateway, it now serves as a key reliever airport for the much larger Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport a few miles to the east, and remains a lively destination for simulator pilots wanting to fly into the middle of San Juan.
Isla Grande Airport sits on reclaimed land in the Isla Grande district of Santurce, within the municipality of San Juan, Puerto Rico. It is owned and operated by the Puerto Rico Ports Authority and today functions primarily as a general aviation field, though it also handles a small amount of scheduled commuter traffic to the outlying islands of Vieques and Culebra. Its tight urban setting, water-bounded runway and busy mix of light aircraft and helicopters make it an engaging and slightly demanding VFR destination for the simulator pilot.
The airport lies on San Juan Bay, between the San Juan Cruise Port and the Puerto Rico Convention Center, only a few miles from the Old San Juan historic quarter, the Condado and Isla Verde resort areas and the Hato Rey business district. It is situated less than six miles west of the much larger Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU/TJSJ), and the proximity of the two fields means pilots must take care not to line up with the wrong airport when arriving from the east. Traffic in the area is worked by San Juan Center.
The field has a single physical runway, 09/27, oriented east-west. Runway 27 is 5,409 feet long and runway 09 is 5,229 feet long; both are a hard surface and are lit for night operations. There is no ILS approach.
The airport uses the callsign SAN JUAN CNTR. Published frequencies are A/D 119.4 MHz, ATIS 120.4 MHz, CTAF/Tower 135.875 MHz, Ground 121.7 MHz, and PRARNG Operations 30.4 MHz.
Intersection take-offs are used at the field, and the FAA has noted a risk of pilots turning the wrong way when entering the runway under these conditions. Because Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport lies less than six miles to the east, arriving pilots should be careful to positively identify Isla Grande and not mistake it for the larger, commercial airport nearby.
The airport is readily identified from the air by its position on San Juan Bay, bounded by the Puerto Rico Convention Center and the San Juan Cruise Port terminal to its east, and overlooking the town of Cataño across the bay. Old San Juan's historic walled city lies a short distance to the north-west, with the Condado and Isla Verde beach districts and the Hato Rey business towers visible further along the coast, all useful landmarks when inbound.
The airfield was originally built by the United States Navy as Naval Air Station Isla Grande before the Second World War, opening in 1929, and went on to serve as Puerto Rico's main international airport until 1954, when what became Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport was built. In its heyday it was served by major international carriers including Deutsche Luft Hansa, Iberia, Delta and Pan Am. The airport also hosted a Coast Guard Air Station until 1971, when that unit relocated to Ramey Air Force Base on the island's northwest coast. It was later renamed in honour of United States Air Force Major Fernando Luis Ribas-Dominicci, an F-111 pilot killed in action during the 1986 airstrike on Libya, Operation El Dorado Canyon. In 2003 a section of the airport's runway and taxiways formed part of a temporary street circuit for the Puerto Rico Grand Prix, a round of the SCCA Trans-Am Series won by Puerto Rican driver Wally Castro. Proposals to close or reduce the airport's control tower and operations have surfaced periodically, including FAA budget-driven tower closure plans announced in 2011, but airport officials have consistently affirmed its importance as one of Puerto Rico's busiest general aviation fields.
Isla Grande remains predominantly a general aviation airport, handling a high volume of light aircraft, multi-engine and helicopter movements alongside a small number of scheduled commuter flights to Vieques and Culebra. It also accommodates some small private international flights, and operators arriving from abroad should be aware that customs and border procedures apply for general aviation traffic. Given its role and mixed traffic, prior permission may be required for certain operations, and pilots should confirm current procedures before flying in.