FBO provides a fuel stop for southbound U.S. pilots By: Matt Thurber
Mar 3rd, 07:44
Pilots looking for an alternative for clearing U.S. Customs on the way back from southern destinations will find a useful one at Rafael Hérnandez Inter-national Airport in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. Aguadilla is located on the northwest corner of Puerto Rico’s Porta del Sol coast, and Rafael Hérnandez is a convenient and low-cost fuel stop for trips to and from the Caribbean and Latin America.
Early last month jet-A was $3 a gallon at FBO Copeca Jet Center, including all taxes. Copeca’s trucks can deliver fuel to aircraft parked on the customs ramp, according to Celso López, president and CEO. U.S. Customs clearance is much easier, too, because there is no airline traffic at Rafael Hérnandez so pilots and passengers don’t have to stand in line with huge numbers of passengers to clear customs as they do at Puerto Rico’s main airport in San Juan. Pilots who provided feedback to NBAA’s international operations Web site ex-pressed disappointment with the hassle of clearing customs at San Juan’s Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport and praised the simpler process available at Rafael Hérnandez.