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How Hurricane Maria Destroyed Puerto Rico's San Juan Airport

Sept. 21, 2017
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2 min read
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How Hurricane Maria Destroyed Puerto Rico's San Juan Airport
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Puerto Rico is reeling from the utter destruction that Hurricane Maria dealt to the Caribbean island, and one of the casualties of the natural disaster was San Juan Luis Muñoz Marin Airport (SJU) which appears to have been significantly damaged. SJU is the island's main international airport and is served by all of the large US carriers including American, Delta, Frontier, JetBlue, Southwest, Spirit and United.

Radio Isla 1320 shared four images from the airport revealing a flooded terminal and a runway full of debris — with entire window panes knocked out of their frames.

Another video shared yesterday shows the extent to which the terminal was flooded. There were huge pools of water everywhere caused by extensive leaking through the roof — which can be seen in the video.


Fernando Luis Ribas Dominicci Airport (SIG), San Juan's smaller airport, got hit hard as well, with private aircraft ripped apart and flipped over from Maria's 155 mph winds.

Although, SJU did share a picture of a rescue helicopter landing at the airport with a caption stating that the the runways could handle planes landing and taking off.

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SJU tweeted earlier today that the airport is ready to receive military and rescue operations and that airlines will be able to operate on Friday, although the airport will have no air conditioning due to lack of power.

Puerto Rico closed all three of its international airports Tuesday in preparation of Hurricane Maria making landfall. The major airlines have issued travel waivers for those affected by the Category 4 storm.

Southwest told us that it has cancelled service through Friday and Delta announced that it will resume flights on Saturday. For those hoping to fly out of San Juan, it is recommended that you check with your airline before heading to the airport. Maria is one of the worst storms Puerto Rico has ever seen and the entire US territory is currently without electricity.

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  • Solid welcome bonus

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  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
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  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.