Mercedita International Airport[5] (AIM)[6] (Spanish: Aeropuerto Internacional Mercedita) (IATA: PSE, ICAO: TJPS, FAA LID: PSE) is an international airport[7] located three nautical miles (6 km) east of the central business district of Ponce, Puerto Rico.

[16] Built in 1939, Mercedita was originally a modest aerodrome used for the airborne irrigation of sugarcane fields belonging to Destilería Serrallés.

[17] To commemorate this, a portrait of Mrs. Mercedes Serrallés was unveiled in the airport on 30 December 1992 by then-governor of Puerto Rico Rafael Hernandez Colon.

It was officially inaugurated on 6 November 1955, via a day-long program of ceremonies and activities transmitted live via radio, and filmed for subsequent TV broadcasting.

During the ceremonies, the project's engineer, Raul Gayá Benejám, made delivery of the new facilities to Salvador V. Caro, executive director of the Puerto Rico Ports Authority.

[23] Meanwhile, Aerolineas de Ponce began services from Mercedita in 1966; the airline had a hub at the airport but soon had most of its flight operating from San Juan instead and changed its name to Prinair.

The passenger terminal was also remodeled, a platform was built for use by general aviation as was a new building for the Air Rescue Unit of the Puerto Rico Police.

After Ponce's mayor Rafael Cordero signed a contract to build a major seaport in the area, Mercedita's directors decided to expand the airport's runway to 8,000 ft (2,438 m) to accommodate anticipated growth in airline traffic.

On 17 November 2005, Continental Airlines also commenced non-stop service between Newark Liberty International Airport and Ponce.

[35][36][37] In early 2010, members of the Ponce Chamber of Commerce strongly criticized the Puerto Rico Ports Authority and its director Alvaro Pilar Villagran after failure to execute on a legally binding agreement of November 2008, whereby the Ports Authority agreed to an investment of $8 million to build an airport drainage system needed as part of any additional expansion work.

[38] In 2010, the Puerto Rico Ports Authority announced an investment of $7 million to extend Mercedita's runway to 8,000 feet (2,400 m).

[42] The airport stopped handling scheduled commercial passenger flights on 23 March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

[50][51] United States air service history at Mercedita has been as follows:[9] In addition, several carriers have flown intra-island from Ponce:[9] Federal Express and DHL they operated out of this airport for the distribution of surface freight.

[62] American airman Tod Schiever died while in an exhibition flight in Ponce, losing control of his plane at a height of 200 feet while making a turn and plunged into a sugar cane field.