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San Juan Airport's Air Traffic Shutdown, in Images

Sept. 22, 2017
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3 min read
SJU flights 9-19-1500
San Juan Airport's Air Traffic Shutdown, in Images
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On an average day, almost 12,000 passengers board commercial aircraft at Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport (SJU) in San Juan, Puerto Rico. In 2016, the airport's 4,327,833 boardings ranked it as the 43rd busiest among US airports.

But through midday Friday, the airport hasn't logged any boardings since Delta's last-minute flight into and out of SJU Tuesday ahead of Hurricane Maria. That will end soon. The airport has taken to Twitter to say "the runways are optimal for take-off and landing of airplanes," and airlines are starting to operate rescue flights to the stricken island. But the damage to the airport terminal will require a lot of work before things are back to normal.

Yesterday, we took a look at the damage inside the terminal. Today, let's take a look at the difference that the hurricane caused to air traffic.

Here's a time lapse of the last 48 hours of traffic in/out of SJU before the storm, compressed to four minutes:


As you can see, Monday was a busy day. FlightAware recorded 142 arrivals into SJU, including 15 island hoppers from St. Croix (STX) and a cargo 747-400 from Luxembourg (LUX). JetBlue alone accounted for 29 of these arrivals. The most popular aircraft arriving into SJU was the Airbus A320s (21). Midday, the skies were busy with aircraft either heading to or back from SJU:

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Flights to/from SJU on September 18 15:00 UTC. Image captured on FlightRadar24.

At the exact same time two days later, as Hurricane Maria made landfall on the island, the skies were empty of SJU-bound flights:

Flights to/from SJU on September 20 15:00 UTC. Image captured on FlightRadar24.

Today, airlines are flying rescue flights into the SJU. American Airlines led the way with two 737-800 flights from Miami (MIA) first thing Friday morning, packed with supplies, crew and rescue members:

Since then, an American Airlines A330 from Philadelphia (PHL) and a JetBlue A320 from New York City's JFK have joined the efforts. But, flights to/from SJU still aren't anywhere close to normal:

Flights to/from SJU on September 22 15:00 UTC. Image captured on FlightRadar24.

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  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

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  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • 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.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
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  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $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.