Airport type Public Elevation AMSL 28 ft / 9 m 4,998 1,523 Code MAZ Phone +1 787-833-0148 | 9/27 4,998 1,523 Asphalt Elevation 8.5 m | |
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Eugenio María de Hostos Airport (IATA: MAZ, ICAO: TJMZ, FAA LID: MAZ) is a small public use airport located three nautical miles (6 km) north of the central business district of Mayagüez, Puerto Rico. The airport is named after the celebrated Mayagüez native Eugenio Maria de Hostos. It offers limited, domestic commercial service, subsidized by the Essential Air Service program.
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As per Federal Aviation Administration records, the airport had 4,636 passenger boardings (enplanements) in calendar year 2008, 4,386 enplanements in 2009, and 4,466 in 2010. The airport is included in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015, which categorized it as a non-primary commercial service airport (between 2,500 and 10,000 enplanements per year).
History
Eugenio María de Hostos Airport used to be the main air gateway to the western region of Puerto Rico, until Rafael Hernández Airport in Aguadilla took over that position.
The airport was served heavily by the Puerto Rican national air carrier, Prinair, during the 1970s and early 1980s. It took the airport three years to get commercial service again once Prinair went bankrupt in 1984. American Eagle opened service from Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in 1987, and Eastern Air Lines, not to be outdone by their rival American's feeder carrier, soon began services there too, with their own feeder airline, Eastern Metro Express.
Although the airport has always been a turbo-prop aircraft airport, Pan Am announced, in 2002, intentions to install jet flights between Mayagüez and Las Américas International Airport in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, with Boeing 727s. Those plans never became a reality, but in 2003, the airport gained international status, when Fina Air picked up the route to Santo Domingo. Fina Air has since gone out of business.
On November 8, 2004, American Eagle filed a 90-day notice of intent to the DOT to end service to Mayagüez on February 5, 2005 due to poor loads. MAZ is an Essential Air Service market therefore American Eagle's service was extended by the DOT until the newly selected carrier, Cape Air, began operations. American Eagle ended operations on April 30, 2005.
Facilities and aircraft
Eugenio María de Hostos Airport covers an area of 172 acres (70 ha) at an elevation of 28 feet (9 m) above mean sea level. It has one runway designated 9/27 with an asphalt surface measuring 4,998 by 100 feet (1,523 x 30 m).
For the 12-month period ending March 30, 2005, the airport had 17,900 aircraft operations, an average of 49 per day: 70% general aviation, 17% air taxi, 8% scheduled commercial, and 5% military. At that time there were 13 aircraft based at this airport: 23% single-engine, 38% multi-engine, 8% helicopter, and 31% ultralight.
Accidents and incidents
The airport has been involved in various air tragedies or incidents over its lifetime: