Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport , also known as Guam International Airport, is an airport located in
Tamuning
Tamuning, also known as Tamuning-Tumon-Harmon ( ch, Tamuneng) is a village located on the western shore of the United States territory of Guam. The village of Tamuning is the economic center of Guam, containing tourist center Tumon, Harmon Indus ...
and
Barrigada
Barrigada ( ch, Barigåda) is a village in the United States territory of Guam. A largely residential municipality, its main village is located south of the Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport near the intersections of Routes 8, 10, and 16 ...
, east of the capital city of
Hagåtña (formerly Agana) in the United States territory of
Guam
Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...
. The airport is a hub for
Asia Pacific Airlines and for
United Airlines
United Airlines, Inc. (commonly referred to as United), is a major American airline headquartered at the Willis Tower in Chicago, Illinois. , serving as the latter's Pacific Ocean hub. It is also the home of the former
Naval Air Station Agana
Naval Air Station Agana is a former United States Naval air station located on the island of Guam. It was opened by the Japanese Navy in 1943 and closed by the United States government in 1995. During and after its closure, it was operated alongs ...
, and is the only international airport in the territory. The airport is named after
Antonio Borja Won Pat
Antonio Borja Won Pat (December 10, 1908 – May 1, 1987) was a Guamanian politician and member of the Democratic Party of Guam. He served as the first Delegate from Guam to the United States House of Representatives from 1973 to 1985.
Early l ...
, the first
delegate
Delegate or delegates may refer to:
* Delegate, New South Wales, a town in Australia
* Delegate (CLI), a computer programming technique
* Delegate (American politics), a representative in any of various political organizations
* Delegate (United ...
from Guam to the
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...
, and is operated by the A.B. Won Pat International Airport Authority, Guam (GIAA, ch, Aturidat Puetton Batkon Airen Guahan Entenasionat), an agency of the Government of Guam.
History
Military use
The airport was built by the Japanese Navy about 1943, calling the military airfield Guamu Dai Ni (Guam No. 2) as part of their defense of the Marianas. After the island was recaptured by American forces in 1944, it was renamed Agana Airfield, due to the proximity of the town. After being repaired by Seabees of the 5th Construction Brigade in October 1944, the
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
Seventh Air Force
The Seventh Air Force (Air Forces Korea) (7 AF) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Pacific Air Forces (PACAF). It is headquartered at Osan Air Base, South Korea.
The command's mission is to plan and direct air component operations in ...
used the airfield as a base for the
11th Bombardment Group
An international call prefix, international dial-out code or international direct dial code (IDD code) is a trunk prefix that indicates an international phone call. In the dialling sequence, the prefix precedes the country calling code (and, fur ...
, which flew
B-24 Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator is an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and some initial production aircraft were laid down as export models des ...
bombers from the station until being moved to
Okinawa
is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi).
Naha is the capital and largest city ...
in July 1945. With the reassignment of the heavy bombers, the
41st Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron flew long-range reconnaissance aircraft (F-4
P-38 Lightning
The Lockheed P-38 Lightning is an American single-seat, twin piston-engined fighter aircraft that was used during World War II. Developed for the United States Army Air Corps by the Lockheed Corporation, the P-38 incorporated a distinctive tw ...
s) from the field until January 1946.
After the war, the USAAF used the airfield for fighter defense of the Marianas (
21st Fighter Group), (
549th Night Fighter Squadron) until early 1947 and as a transport hub (
9th Troop Carrier Squadron 009 may refer to:
* OO9, gauge model railways
* O09, FAA identifier for Round Valley Airport
* 0O9, FAA identifier for Ward Field, see List of airports in California
* British secret agent 009, see 00 Agent
* BA 009, see British Airways Flight 9
* ...
). In 1947, the USAAF turned over the airfield to the
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
, which consolidated its facilities with those at the closing
Harmon Air Force Base
Harmon Air Force Base is a former World War II United States Army Air Forces airfield, and postwar United States Air Force Base on Guam in the Mariana Islands. Originally named "Depot Field", it was renamed in honor of Lieutenant General Millar ...
in 1949, and operated
Naval Air Station Agana
Naval Air Station Agana is a former United States Naval air station located on the island of Guam. It was opened by the Japanese Navy in 1943 and closed by the United States government in 1995. During and after its closure, it was operated alongs ...
until it was closed by the
1993 Base Realignment and Closure Commission The 1993 Base Realignment and Closure Commission preliminary list was released by the United States Department of Defense in 1993 as part of the Base Realignment and Closure Commission. It recommended closing 33 major United States military bases.
...
.
Civilian use
Travel to Guam was restricted to military personnel with a
security clearance
A security clearance is a status granted to individuals allowing them access to classified information (state or organizational secrets) or to restricted areas, after completion of a thorough background check. The term "security clearance" is ...
until 1962. During these early years, a single
Quonset hut
A Quonset hut is a lightweight prefabricated structure of corrugated galvanized steel having a semi cylindrical cross-section. The design was developed in the United States, based on the Nissen hut introduced by the British during World War I ...
served as Guam's air terminal. The lifting of this travel restriction spurred the development of the airport; its International Air Terminal opened in March 1967 and accommodated its first tour group from Japan two months later. Operations of the terminal were passed onto the Government of Guam's Department of Commerce in 1969. In 1975, the Guam International Airport Authority (GIAA) was created as a separate agency. After NAS Agana was closed in April 1995, GIAA took over the entire airport's operations.
A new passenger terminal building was opened in 1982, and the current, much larger terminal building was opened in phases between 1996 and 1998.
[Expansion Project History]
" Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport Authority. Retrieved on October 6, 2010.
After a period of seasonal charters, the first regular flight to Mainland China from Guam was established in 2014. The
United Airlines
United Airlines, Inc. (commonly referred to as United), is a major American airline headquartered at the Willis Tower in Chicago, Illinois. service to Shanghai Pudong Airport began on October 29, 2014.
Project Hulo'
In July 2017, the A.B. Won Pat International Airport Authority launched its Vision Hulo' campaign, which includes around $167 million in capital improvement projects to help boost services and operation for the airport. The projects are set to increase the airport's passenger capacity, which already annually serves 3.55 million departing and transiting passengers. The projects include the relocation of bulky baggage screenings, additional security lanes, the expansion of parking spaces, and more.
A $110 million international arrivals corridor, the largest in the project, is the airport's newest capital improvement project. The third level corridor will finally put the airport compliance with federal regulations by the U.S.
Transportation Security Administration
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that has authority over the security of transportation systems within, and connecting to the United States. It was created ...
in 2005, in response to 9/11, by separating arriving international passengers with departing passenger and allowing the airport to finally remove the semi-permanent barriers and reclaim full use of the concourse.
In the initial months of the
COVID-19 pandemic in Guam
Guam, one of the external territories of the United States of America confirmed its first case of the COVID-19 pandemic on March 15, 2020, and the first death on March 22. The Government of Guam ordered the general lockdown of the island in mid- ...
, flights to and from Guam stopped, except for
United Airlines
United Airlines, Inc. (commonly referred to as United), is a major American airline headquartered at the Willis Tower in Chicago, Illinois. , which maintained daily service to
Honolulu
Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the island ...
and thrice-weekly service to
Narita. A year later in April 2021, limited flights were being conducted by United Airlines,
Philippine Airlines
Philippine Airlines (PAL), a trade name of PAL Holdings, Inc. ( PSEPAL (Philippine Air Lines until 1970), is the flag carrier airline of the Philippines. Headquartered at the PNB Financial Center in Pasay, the airline was founded in 1941 and i ...
and
Jin Air
Jin Air Co., Ltd. () is a South Korean low-cost airline. As of April 2018 it operates flights to six domestic cities and 26 international destinations. It launched its first long haul route, between Incheon and Honolulu, in December 2015. It has ...
.
Customs, immigration, and security inspections
Arrival passenger inspection is conducted by the
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is the largest federal law enforcement agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security. It is the country's primary border control organization, charged with regulating and facilit ...
(immigration only) and Guam Customs and Quarantine Agency. Departure security checks are conducted by the U.S.
Transportation Security Administration
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that has authority over the security of transportation systems within, and connecting to the United States. It was created ...
.
Customs
Because Guam is outside the United States customs jurisdiction, passengers from all arrival flights go through Guam Customs and Quarantine Agency inspection. Passengers bound for Honolulu, which is currently the only Stateside flight, go through a normal U.S. Customs and Border Protection customs inspection upon arrival.
Immigration
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection inspects all arriving passengers from foreign points.
Passengers arriving from the
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
The Northern Mariana Islands, officially the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI; ch, Sankattan Siha Na Islas Mariånas; cal, Commonwealth Téél Falúw kka Efáng llól Marianas), is an unincorporated territory and commonwea ...
, a separate U.S. immigration jurisdiction with slightly different visa requirements, are pre-inspected there for admissibility to Guam. Nonstop passengers bound for Honolulu are pre-inspected at Guam's boarding gate for admissibility to the United States because of the
Guam and Northern Mariana Islands Visa Waiver Program, which allows visa-free entry to Guam for tourists from Australia, Brunei, mainland China, Hong Kong (with a
Hong Kong Identity Card
The Hong Kong identity card (officially HKIC, commonly HKID) is an official identity document issued by the Immigration Department of Hong Kong. According to the Registration of Persons Ordinance (Cap. 177), all residents of age 11 or above wh ...
), Japan, Malaysia, Nauru, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan (with a
Republic of China passport
The Republic of China (Taiwan) passport () is the passport issued to nationals of the Republic of China (ROC), commonly known as Taiwan. The ROC passport is also generally referred to as a Taiwanese passport. As of September 2020, approximately ...
with a National ID number and a valid
Republic of China national identity card), and United Kingdom (with a
British Citizen passport or a
British National Overseas passport).
For U.S. citizens, passports are not required to enter Guam from the Northern Mariana Islands; other forms of identification proving admissibility are accepted. Passports are required for those transiting a foreign country between the United States and Guam.
Transit passengers, except from Honolulu and the Northern Mariana Islands, are also inspected by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection before being allowed to proceed to their connecting gate. Because all onward flights depart Guam's customs jurisdiction, no baggage claim is necessary.
Security
The
Transportation Security Administration
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that has authority over the security of transportation systems within, and connecting to the United States. It was created ...
conducts security inspection for departing passengers and all transit passengers.
Transit passengers who arrive from the United States or the
Northern Mariana Islands
The Northern Mariana Islands, officially the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI; ch, Sankattan Siha Na Islas Mariånas; cal, Commonwealth Téél Falúw kka Efáng llól Marianas), is an unincorporated territory and commonw ...
are screened by Transportation Security Administration at their origins, so they are not screened again in Guam.
Guam–Honolulu passengers who have onward connections must go through Transportation Security Administration inspection again in
Honolulu
Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the island ...
because they will have come into contact with their checked baggage during U.S. customs inspection there.
Facilities
The airport covers at an
elevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above or below a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface (see Geodetic datum § Vert ...
of above
sea level
Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical datuma standardised g ...
.
It has 2
asphalt
Asphalt, also known as bitumen (, ), is a sticky, black, highly viscous liquid or semi-solid form of petroleum. It may be found in natural deposits or may be a refined product, and is classed as a pitch. Before the 20th century, the term a ...
runways:
* Runway 6L/24R: 12,017 x 150 ft (3,663 x 46 m.), Surface:
Asphalt
Asphalt, also known as bitumen (, ), is a sticky, black, highly viscous liquid or semi-solid form of petroleum. It may be found in natural deposits or may be a refined product, and is classed as a pitch. Before the 20th century, the term a ...
,
ILS/
DME equipped, with approved GPS and VOR/DME approaches.
* Runway 6R/24L: 10,014 x 150 ft (3,052 x 46 m.), Surface:
Asphalt
Asphalt, also known as bitumen (, ), is a sticky, black, highly viscous liquid or semi-solid form of petroleum. It may be found in natural deposits or may be a refined product, and is classed as a pitch. Before the 20th century, the term a ...
,
ILS/
DME equipped, with approved GPS approaches.
For the 12-month period ending February 28, 2022, the airport had 24,804 aircraft operations, an average of 68 per day: 65%
general aviation
General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations with the exception of commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services ...
, 1%
air taxi
An air taxi is a small commercial aircraft that makes short flights on demand.
In 2001 air taxi operations were promoted in the United States by a NASA and aerospace industry study on the potential Small Aircraft Transportation System (SATS) an ...
, 27% commercial airline and 7% military. At that time, there were 42 aircraft based at this airport: 25 single-engine, 4 multi-engine and 13 jet.
Passenger terminal
The current passenger terminal's first phase was completed on September 10, 1996. The terminal included a new customs and immigration hall and a 710 space parking lot. In August 1998 the second phase of the current passenger terminal opened.
[Timeline]
." Guam International Airport Authority. Retrieved on October 6, 2010. The expansion program that opened the current terminal had a cost of $741 million.
The terminal has three levels. The basement level houses arrival facilities, including customs and baggage claim. The basement also houses the GIAA Airport Police and GIAA Arcade offices and the Hafa Adai Gardens. The apron level (the departure level) houses the ticketing counters. The third floor houses the departure gates, immigration facilities, and GIAA administrative offices. The front of the airport displays stylized
latte stone
A latte stone, or simply latte (also latde, latti, or latdi), is a pillar (Chamorro language: ''haligi'') capped by a hemispherical stone capital (''tasa'') with the flat side facing up. Used as building supports by the ancient Chamorro people, th ...
motifs; the latte stone is an icon of modern
CHamoru
Chamorro (; ch, Finuʼ Chamorro, links=no (CNMI), (Guam)) is an Austronesian language spoken by about 58,000 people (about 25,800 people on Guam and about 32,200 in the rest of the Mariana Islands and elsewhere). It is the native and spoken ...
identity.
Since all flights require customs or immigration inspection, the airport's post-security concourse and gate area was not designed to separate arriving and departing passengers. The only normal passenger entrance is through security and the only normal exit is through immigration. Except for the few gates designated for Honolulu arrivals, which route passengers directly to customs, all other gates do not have a separate arrival corridor. Arrival passengers walk directly into the gates waiting area, and in the past could actually purchase food or merchandise before entering the immigration hall.
The original design is said to be compliant with security standards at the time of opening. However, after the
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial ...
, the U.S. government began to require separation of uninspected arrival passengers. The airport initially used a system of chairs, moving sidewalks, retractable belts and security/police staffing to usher arriving passengers from the gate to the immigration hall without coming into physical contact with departing passengers. In recent years, semi-permanent movable walls separate much of the length of the terminal building into two halves, decreasing the need for human staffing and those lighter objects previously in use.
There are 2 lounges available to passengers at Guam. One is the Sagan Bisita Lounge and the other is the United Club.
Old terminal building
The old terminal served as the corporate headquarters of
Continental Micronesia
Continental Micronesia, Inc. (CMI) was a company which was a wholly owned subsidiary of Continental Airlines. It operated daily flights to Honolulu, Hawaii, as well as international services to Asia, Micronesia and Australia from its base of ...
until late 2010. The ,
$43 million Commuter Terminal was dedicated on January 19, 1982.
At the time of opening, the Guamanian people referred to the terminal as a "
white elephant
A white elephant is a possession that its owner cannot dispose of, and whose cost, particularly that of maintenance, is out of proportion to its usefulness. In modern usage, it is a metaphor used to describe an object, construction project, sch ...
," believing that the terminal was so large that it would never be fully used.
After the current terminal building opened, the old terminal building became the Commuter Terminal (serving
Freedom Air
Freedom Air (legally ''Freedom Air International'') was a New Zealand low-cost airline which operated since 8 December 1995 to March 2008. It was part of the Air New Zealand Group which ran scheduled passenger services from New Zealand to Aust ...
and
Pacific Island Aviation
Pacific Island Aviation (PIA) was a commuter airline headquartered on the second floor of the Cabrera Center in Garapan, Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands. It operated passenger and cargo services. Its main base was Saipan International Airport. ...
). By 2003 the Guam International Airport Authority moved commuter airlines out of the Commuter Terminal and leased the entire facility to
Continental Micronesia
Continental Micronesia, Inc. (CMI) was a company which was a wholly owned subsidiary of Continental Airlines. It operated daily flights to Honolulu, Hawaii, as well as international services to Asia, Micronesia and Australia from its base of ...
.
Other facilities
* Cargo facilities are located between the main terminal and the commuter terminal.
*
Japan Airlines
, also known as JAL (''Jaru'') or , is an international airline and Japan's flag carrier and largest airline as of 2021 and 2022, headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo. Its main hubs are Tokyo's Narita International Airport and Haneda Airport, as w ...
opened a flight crew training center at GUM in October 2013. JAL trains
Boeing 737
The Boeing 737 is a narrow-body aircraft produced by Boeing at its Renton Factory in Washington.
Developed to supplement the Boeing 727 on short and thin routes, the twinjet retains the 707 fuselage width and six abreast seating with two un ...
and
Boeing 767
The Boeing 767 is an American wide-body aircraft developed and manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
The aircraft was launched as the 7X7 program on July 14, 1978, the prototype first flew on September 26, 1981, and it was certified on ...
pilots at the airport, including touch-and-go operations during off-peak hours.
*The airport can handle multiple larger aircraft including the former world's largest
An-225
The Antonov An-225 Mriya ( uk, Антонов Ан-225 Мрія, lit=dream' or 'inspiration; NATO reporting name: Cossack) was a strategic airlift cargo aircraft designed and produced by the Antonov Design Bureau in the Soviet Union.
It was or ...
.
Airlines and destinations
Passenger
Cargo
Statistics
Top destinations
Accidents and incidents
Several fatal accidents have occurred on and near Guam over the years. In total, 367 deaths occurred from 6 different aircraft accidents.
*On August 6, 1997,
Korean Air Flight 801
Korean Air Flight 801 (KE801, KAL801) was a scheduled international passenger flight operated by Korean Air. The flight crashed on August 6, 1997, on approach to Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport, in the United States territory of Guam, k ...
, a
Boeing 747-300
The Boeing 747 is a large, long-range wide-body airliner designed and manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes in the United States between 1968 and 2022.
After introducing the 707 in October 1958, Pan Am wanted a jet times its size, t ...
, crashed as it was attempting to land at the airport. Of the 254 people on board, 229 were killed.
* On June 10, 2009,
Jetstar Airways
Jetstar Airways Pty Ltd, operating as Jetstar, is an Australian low-cost airline (self-described as "value-based") headquartered in Melbourne. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Qantas, created in response to the threat posed by airline Virgi ...
Flight 20 flying from
Kansai International Airport
Kansai International Airport ( ja, 関西国際空港, Kansai Kokusai Kūkō) commonly known as is the primary international airport in the Greater Osaka Area of Japan and the closest international airport to the cities of Osaka, Kyoto, and K ...
to
Gold Coast Airport
Gold Coast Airport (formerly known as Coolangatta Airport) is an international Australian airport located at the southern end of the Gold Coast and approximately south of centre of Brisbane, within South East Queensland agglomeration. The ...
experienced a small fire in the cockpit apparently caused by a fault in the heating system. The fire was quickly extinguished by the pilots who subsequently diverted the plane to Guam. All 203 people on board were unharmed in the incident. The
Australian Transport Safety Bureau
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) is Australia's national transport safety investigator. The ATSB is the federal government body responsible for investigating transport-related accidents and incidents within Australia. It covers air ...
determined the cause of the fire to be an overheat related to the use of a polysulfide sealant in the electrical connections to the windshield.
See also
*
Island Hopper
The Island Hopper is an airline route between Guam and Honolulu, Hawaii, via several small islands in the Federated States of Micronesia and the Marshall Islands. The route, currently operated by United and originally by Continental Micronesia, is ...
scheduled air service
References
External links
A.B. Won Pat International Airport Authority, Guam(official site)
Guide to Guam Airport*
*
*
{{authority control
Airports in Guam
Airports established in 1943
1943 establishments in Guam
Barrigada, Guam