🛬 Aguadilla to Remain Operational During Construction
On September 16, 2026, Rafael Hernández International Airport disclosed that a new runway approximately 3,350 meters long and 46 meters wide will be constructed at Aguadilla Airport while the existing airport remains operational, with no interruption to airport operations during construction. Ferrovial is participating in the project, which has an investment value of US$207 million and will use automated equipment for ground compaction. The related phased construction arrangements apply to the compaction process and do not represent phased suspensions of business aviation operations. Avi-Go data show that, counting each airport departure and arrival as one movement, TJBQ recorded 28 movements from September 10 to September 16, 2026, comprising 12 departures and 16 arrivals, for a daily average of 4.00 movements. From September 1 to September 7, it recorded 32 movements, comprising 15 departures and 17 arrivals, for a daily average of 4.57 movements. The two complete seven-day windows differed by four movements, a decline of 12.5%. The available short-window data indicate that business aviation activity continued while construction progressed.
Impact: Keeping the existing airport operational will allow business aircraft using TJBQ to continue performing Aguadilla-related missions. However, once runway construction enters the groundworks phase, flight crews’ immediate focus will shift to real-time runway availability, taxi routes, and on-site operating procedures, rather than an assumed airport closure. Arrival volume differed by only one movement between the two windows, with the short-term change in activity driven mainly by departures declining from 15 to 12 movements.
Recommendation: Operators planning to use TJBQ should review the latest NOTAMs and airport construction advisories before dispatching each mission, and incorporate runway availability, taxi routes, and alternate-airport arrangements into the operating plan for that mission. They should also continue monitoring new-runway construction milestones and full-week business aircraft movement volumes to determine whether the short-window level of 28 to 32 movements changes on a sustained basis.