Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (Spanish: Aeropuerto Internacional Luis Muñoz Marín) (IATA: SJU, ICAO: TJSJ, FAA LID: SJU), previously known as the Isla Verde International Airport (Spanish: Aeropuerto Internacional de Isla Verde), is the primary international airport of Puerto Rico serving the capital municipality of San Juan and its metropolitan area since 1955.

[6] Named after Luis Muñoz Marín, the first elected governor of the archipelago and island, the 1,600 acres (647 ha) airport is located in the beachfront resort and residential district of Isla Verde in the municipality of Carolina, about 4 to 7 miles (6.4 to 11.3 km) east of the business center of Hato Rey, resort area of Condado, historic quarter of Old San Juan, and secondary airport of SIG.

With 12,197,553 million passengers in 2023, SJU is the busiest airport in the Caribbean, where it serves as a major gateway into the region.

In 1945, aware of the importance of aviation for the development of the economy of Puerto Rico, the island government had pointed out the need to build a newer international airport capable of handling the growing air traffic of San Juan International Airport, in Isla Grande, that had been operating since 1929; as well as responding to the needs of the future.

(The Isla Grande Airport, now named in honor of Maj. Fernando Luis Ribas Dominicci, pilot of the US Air Force F-111, who was killed in action in Libya in 1986, currently has a runway of 5,542 feet (1,689 m) in length.)

During 1949, the first phase of construction of the Isla Verde Airport was completed: cleaning, filling, leveling and drainage of soils.

The facilities, estimated at a cost of $22 million, had a six-story passenger terminal, control tower, 7,800 foot (2,400 m) long runway (8–26), cargo building, fire and police stations, and a hotel.

Hundreds of people, enthusiastic about the new aerial installation, witnessed the inaugural events presided over by Luis Muñoz Marín.

The first year of operations of the new airport produced an upward movement of passengers to 694,199 and a total of 28 million pounds of cargo was handled.

At the start of operations, the airport had only one runway (8/26), the old control tower on top of the hotel, 3 terminals and a parking lot for 200 cars.

During the beginning of the 60s, several expansion and improvement projects began, starting with the runway extending from 7,800–10,000 feet (2,400–3,000 m) in length.

On February 18, 1985, the Governor of Puerto Rico, Rafael Hernández Colón, converted to law the project to Senate Number 1, officially designating the international airport under the name of Luis Muñoz Marín, in honor of the first governor of Puerto Rico elected by the people.

The airport served as a hub for Pan Am, Trans Caribbean Airways, Eastern Air Lines, and for a short period a focus city for TWA.

Some of these include the expansion of the two-level access road to a maximum of 10 lanes on both levels, the new air traffic control tower (designed by Segundo Cardona FAIA of SCF Architects[13]), a parallel taxiway connecting lanes 8 and 10, a parking garage, and the first and second phase of the Terminal B expansion, modification, and rehabilitation project.

Competition from low-cost carriers, together with the financial crisis and oil price shock of 2008, led American to reduce its San Juan operation and consolidate its Caribbean hub flying at Miami.

American eventually closed its San Juan base and retired its ATR fleet in 2013 as part of its Chapter 11 restructuring.

Prior to privatization, management was changed each time a different political party in Puerto Rico took office and this caused disruption, and a lack of a long-term vision for the airport.

In June 2012, Terminal A was opened and occupied solely by JetBlue Airways, making San Juan a focus city.

This $40 million dollar and 365,000 square foot, fully self contained facility opened in 1985 and was designed as a sole terminal for Eastern Airlines accommodating 11 wide body gates.

[27] As of June 2024, Terminal C houses gates C2 through C10 and is used by Air Canada, American, Avianca, Copa, Frontier, Iberia, international JetBlue arrivals as well as local charters.

These scheduled flights include Delta, Frontier, Spirit and United when Terminals B and C are at maximum capacity.