I noticed an AN-124 from MIA yesterday and today UA flew a 77W in loaded with supplies and reportedly is flying it out full of people at no charge and is offering a connection flight to anywhere in the US. If true, good on UA. I read somewhere that slots are very limited and that the major carriers are flying loads of supplies in.

Anyone have any more details?

I saw online that AA is still charging insane fares. Not sure how B6 and DL are doing. The last two times they have capped fares making it possible to fly in and out. I saw two B6 flights heading towards SJU along with a FedEx and UPS plane.

Mark Cuban donated his 757-200 to NBA player J.J. Barea who is from PR. The plane is loaded with supplies and then will fly his family out.

I got this information from my AA sales person today:

To assist those affected by Maria, we are capping one-way nonstop fares to and from Puerto Rico at $99 for Main Cabin and $199 for premium cabins (connecting fares may be higher) through October 1. We have also added additional caps in both directions from the U.S. Virgin Islands, and flights to the United States from Saint Maarten* and Turks and Caicos through October 1.

Airports with impacted operations

• San Juan, Puerto Rico (SJU)
o Sept. 26: Limited operation
o Flight 9252 departed MIA at 6:30 a.m. EDT
o Flight 9253 departed SJU at 12 p.m. AST
• St. Croix Island, U.S. Virgin Islands (STX)
o Operations remain suspended
• St. Maarten, Saint Maarten (SXM)
o Operations remain suspended
• St. Thomas Island, U.S. Virgin Islands (STT)
o Operations remain suspended

I heard on the radio (though I cannot find a link) that it is two flights per carrier per day to SJU. It sounds like the field is uncontrolled and has no working instrument approach facilities.

Here's today's list of arrivals per Flightaware:

Airline/Flt # Aircraft Origin
TSU281 B722 Fort Lauderdale Intl (KFLL)
AAL9252 B772 Miami Intl (KMIA)
JBU8041 A320 Fort Lauderdale Intl (KFLL)
N117AA CL60 Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers Intl (KJAN)
SWA8501 B738 Orlando Intl (KMCO)
WAL550 MD83 Miami Intl (KMIA)
DAL559 B753 Hartsfield-Jackson Intl (KATL)
SWG9800 B738 Montreal-Trudeau (CYUL)
NRL58 B733 Montreal-Mirabel (CYMX)
ABX845 B762 N Kentucky Intl (KCVG)
N801DM B752 Dallas Love Field (KDAL)
UPS1602 B763 Hartsfield-Jackson Intl (KATL)
FDX51 MD11 Memphis Intl (KMEM)
JBU8051 A320 Orlando Intl (KMCO)
JBU8091 A320 Fort Lauderdale Intl (KFLL)
UAL2757 B77W Chicago O'Hare Intl (KORD)
JBU8061 A320 John F Kennedy Intl (KJFK)
DAL443 B763 John F Kennedy Intl (KJFK)
LIA560 AT44 Melville Hall (DOM / TDPD)
SWA8503 B738 Orlando Intl (KMCO)
JBU8081 A320 Boston Logan Intl (KBOS)
NKS705 A321 Fort Lauderdale Intl (KFLL)
WAL552 MD83 Hartsfield-Jackson Intl (KATL)
TSU216 B722 Memphis Intl (KMEM)
AJT471 B763 Miami Intl (KMIA)
FDX251 MD11 Memphis Intl (KMEM)
AAY9400 A320 Hartsfield-Jackson Intl (KATL)
SBS755 BN2P Benjamin Rivera Noriega (CPX / TJCP)
NCR327 B752 Miami Intl (KMIA)
SWG802 B738 Cyril E King (STT / TIST)
DCM6737 C560 Fort Lauderdale Executive (KFXE)
N764EA C402 Hato Int'l (CUR / TNCC)
TSU281 B722 Cyril E King (STT / TIST)
DAL1387 B753 Hartsfield-Jackson Intl (KATL)
NKS801 A321 Orlando Intl (KMCO)
SWQ5175 B733 Harrisburg Intl (KMDT)
N193SG H25B Miami Executive (KTMB)
DCM6737 C560 Igor I Sikorsky Memorial (KBDR)
CSB903 B762 Miami Intl (KMIA)
IFL581 FA20 Miami Intl (KMIA)
MTN7142 C208 Princess Juliana Int'l (SXM / TNCM)
AJT411 B763 Miami Intl (KMIA)
7U8553 CVF VC Bird Int'l (ANU / TAPA)
CSQ401 E145 Fort Lauderdale Intl (KFLL)
N75WZ B350 Fort Lauderdale Executive (KFXE)
AMF6910 B190 Terrance B. Lettsome Int'l (EIS / TUPJ)
AJT8241 B722 Miami Intl (KMIA)
N9099 LJ35 Clearwater Intl (KPIE)
AVA258 A319 El Dorado Int'l (BOG / SKBO)
N701SE DC3 Exuma Int'l (GGT / MYEF)
GPD127 PC12 Gustaf III (SBH / TFFJ)
CNA755 MD83 Las Americas (SDQ / MDSD)
FDX251 MD11 Memphis Intl (KMEM)
N456CL LJ35 Fort Lauderdale Executive (KFXE)
SPA703 B732 Fort Lauderdale Intl (KFLL)
JBU651 A320 Tampa Intl (KTPA)
JBU933 E190 Orlando Intl (KMCO)

The media is making the SJU airport seem like a swamp, and I do not understand why, given the restrictions on flights, DL isn't going in there with a 747, even if it means making it to/from DET if they can't/won't run it to/from ATL or JFK. AA is now using a 77W, WN is using a 738, etc. DL is using a 753.

Seems like a wasted opportunity to garner some real positive PR. The President praised AA on its response in other areas -- why isn't DL stepping up to the plate with the aircraft that everyone associates with might and capability?

Also, I noticed that ATI (cargo carrier) is running basically a shuttle from MIA to SJU with supplies. N255CM is the plane. It's using a flight number normally associated with its military work, so this may be a DOD charter, but whatever it is, every little bit is needed.

Any word on when the FAA will get radio service back up? Last I heard, aircraft couldn't communicate with SJU more than 30 miles away, and therefore were pre-assigned altitudes and are running 100 miles in trail of the aircraft in front, dramatically-reducing flight volume.

Allegiant also ran a Red Cross charter yesterday from ATL to SJU on an A320. It’s good to see all these Airlines pitching in and helping a large community in desperate need of help!

AA operated an A332 PHL-SJU as AA2028 this morning carrying passengers and media personnel in addition to 19K pounds of relief supplies.
A MIA-SJU 738 also operated this morning with like people and supplies.

I was just there yesterday. Commercial flight are limited to certain markets and the cap was 10 flights a day. The markets allowed are NYC, MFL, ATL, CHI, and MCO. The 6 hours I observed UA 77W from ORD, AA 77W from MIA, WN 738 from MCO, NK 320 from MCO, B6 321 to JFK, B6 320 to MCO, B6 to FLL, DL 76L to JFK and two 753 to ATL. One security check point open. No air in the terminal 2 people already passed out due to heat exhaustion. Boarding is done over a cell phone all manual flights are all leaving late. Ice and customs officers walking around the terminal looking for suspicious persons.

One item that got me thinking was con-air 737. Federal marshals evacuating prisoners off the island.
If the fed govt can use resources to evacuate prisoners they could have better used it to get the airport up to better standards.

Terminal B flooded and Terminal D has several jetways smashed or where blown off.

Cubsrule wrote:

I heard on the radio (though I cannot find a link) that it is two flights per carrier per day to SJU. It sounds like the field is uncontrolled and has no working instrument approach facilities.

The field is definitely not uncontrolled — not with over 100 arrivals and departures! Even STT has remained controlled before/after both storms, albeit under a tent immediately following Irma. The FAA later flew in a temporary tower cab from Boise, because the current STT ATCT is unusable. It was moved to SJU for Maria, and brought back again. Controllers there have been brought in/out for their shifts from SJU daily. SJU is currently using a Long Range Radar site in the Turks and Caicos, and tech ops is working to get a second site up in Puerto Rico at Pico del Este. They're literally having to chainsaw their way in, as the last two miles in a national forest are impassable. I know the ATCT at SJU sustained some damage from pictures I've seen (I'm not sure about the status of the CENRAP, but they had sent some controllers to ZMA to work traffic from there immediately after the storm), but as far as I know, both are open and running. The FAA is using a slot reservation system to manage the demand for ramp space and for arrivals/departures, which is probably limited by having to use the LRR site. Ops will probably be limited for some time, at least until they get another radar site back up.

atcsundevil wrote:

Cubsrule wrote:

I heard on the radio (though I cannot find a link) that it is two flights per carrier per day to SJU. It sounds like the field is uncontrolled and has no working instrument approach facilities.

The field is definitely not uncontrolled — not with over 100 arrivals and departures! Even STT has remained controlled before/after both storms, albeit under a tent immediately following Irma. The FAA later flew in a temporary tower cab from Boise, because the current STT ATCT is unusable. It was moved to SJU for Maria, and brought back again. Controllers there have been brought in/out for their shifts from SJU daily. SJU is currently using a Long Range Radar site in the Turks and Caicos, and tech ops is working to get a second site up in Puerto Rico at Pico del Este. They're literally having to chainsaw their way in, as the last two miles in a national forest are impassable. I know the ATCT at SJU sustained some damage from pictures I've seen (I'm not sure about the status of the CENRAP, but they had sent some controllers to ZMA to work traffic from there immediately after the storm), but as far as I know, both are open and running. The FAA is using a slot reservation system to manage the demand for ramp space and for arrivals/departures, which is probably limited by having to use the LRR site. Ops will probably be limited for some time, at least until they get another radar site back up.

This is a very fluid situation, but I think the report was accurate 3 days ago. At that time, they had low single digit arrivals per hour and it sounded like a single approach at a time. I assume they were running arrivals onto 10 and departures off of 8 (which is a typical pattern in the late summer/early fall) but that is more of a guess based on some comments on the approach path.

AA has allowed active employees to send relief aid to our families free of charge. Due to the history of AA in PR they have many employees from there, so one can imagine fhe amount of cargo headed down fo PR. In addifion to ofher relief being sent that way.

mackdad wrote:

One item that got me thinking was con-air 737. Federal marshals evacuating prisoners off the island.
If the fed govt can use resources to evacuate prisoners they could have better used it to get the airport up to better standards.

FYI those prisoners are still humans if you didn't know....

I was there recently. I wouldn't be surprised if they increase arrival rates soon. The SJU radar is back online, as are both ILS approaches. Approach, tower, etc are all back up, but approach seems limited. San Juan center is operating west of San Juan, it seemed they were still having some issues with aircraft coming in from the east. I'm not sure if the runway and taxiway lighting systems are back up. The terminals are still on emergency power, so no air conditioning. (It's very, very hot). Terminal A is in good shape, B is another story. B had roof damage and some jetbridges were in rough shape... but they already had staff working on repairs. The hangers toward the 28 side of 10 were interesting.... at least 1 aircraft was still lodged on the side of the hanger having being picked up and thrown there. All the trees in the area appeared down... it looked like a nuke went off. From the limited amount I saw the hotels are in good shape, but the lesser built buildings on the approach to 10 were in really bad shape.