The airport, which is said to have the longest runway in the Caribbean (11,702 x 200 feet), has been long associated with the adjacent military base, Base Ramey. It used to receive domestic commercial flights by Prinair. It is also noted for being the place that large clothing company Wrangler uses to land their planes filled with company-related cargo.
In 1988, Rafael Hernandez Airport started to surface as an alternative to Luis Munoz Marin International Airport, when Carnival Airlines and ATA began jet services there. In the 1990s, American Airlines joined those two airlines. Later on, Pan Am (2) and TWA also came.
Recently, the Puerto Rican Ports Authority announced that it would be remodeling and expanding BQN to accommodate more flights and passengers. A new domestic terminal building is to be built within a year and the current terminal will be both remodeled and expanded.
Currently, the airport is served by:
- Flights to Newark, NJ (EWR)
- Flights to New York, NY (JFK)
- Flights to Sanford, FL (SFB); Santo Domingo (SDQ) and Punta Cana (PUJ), Dominican Republic; San Juan, PR (SJU)
On the cargo side: