
Suriname, officially the Republic of Suriname, is a country in northern South America. It has two international airports: Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport, also known as Paramaribo-Zanderij International Airport, and Zorg en Hoop. The former is located in the town of Zanderij, 45 kilometres south of the capital city, Paramaribo, and is the larger of the two airports.
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What You'll Learn
- Suriname has two international airports
- Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport is the largest airport in Suriname
- Paramaribo-Zanderij International Airport is another name for Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport
- The airport is named after a popular Surinamese politician and former Prime Minister
- The airport has one of the longest runways in the Caribbean region

Suriname has two international airports
Suriname, officially the Republic of Suriname, is a country in northern South America. It is the smallest sovereign state in South America in terms of area and population. Interestingly, it is also the only Dutch-speaking region in the Western Hemisphere that is not part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Zorg en Hoop, the other international airport, offers scheduled flights to nearby Guyana. While it is the smaller of the two airports, it still plays an important role in regional travel and connectivity.
Suriname's airports have a rich history. Prior to World War II, the larger Zanderij Airport was a stop for Pan American World Airways (PAA). In 1928, PAA began operating mail flights from Miami to Paramaribo, which was then the capital of the Dutch colony of Suriname. The airport has also been used for emergency landings, such as in 1934 when female pilot Guggenheim and male pilot Russel Thaw were forced to land near Nieuwe Haven due to difficulty locating the Zanderij airfield.
The Surinamese government has invested in expanding and modernizing its airports, particularly the Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport. The improvements include repaving the runway, renovating the platform for planes, and enhancing the lighting systems. The departure and arrival lounges are currently separate, but there are plans to connect them in the future using airbridges. The expansion project also includes the construction of a new terminal and a 2.7-kilometre taxiway parallel to the existing runway. These developments are aimed at transforming the airport into an international hub and improving the overall travel experience for passengers.
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Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport is the largest airport in Suriname
Suriname, officially the Republic of Suriname, is a country in northern South America. It is the smallest sovereign state in South America in terms of area and population. The country has two international airports, with Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport (IATA: PBM, ICAO: SMJP) being the largest. The airport is located in the town of Zanderij, 45 kilometres (28 miles) south of the capital city of Paramaribo. It is locally referred to as JAP and is a hub for the airline carrier Surinam Airways. The airport is named after the popular Surinamese politician and former Prime Minister of Suriname, Johan Adolf Pengel, but locals still call it Zanderij, after the small village and savannah where it is situated.
Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport has one runway, which is approximately 3.5 kilometres long. It is one of the longest runways in the Caribbean region and served the Antonov An-225 Mriya, the world's largest cargo plane, in 2010. The airport reached an average of 500,000 passengers per year as of December 2019. The airport has seen several improvements, including the repaving of the runway, renovation of the plane platforms, and the addition of runway lights on the arrival side. The arrival lounge, commercial centre, and parking lot have also been upgraded.
The Surinamese government has plans to further expand and modernise the airport, with a total investment of approximately US$205 million. The expansion includes the construction of a new terminal, a 2.7-kilometre taxiway parallel to the runway, and the installation of airbridges. The current terminal cannot accommodate the increasing number of passengers, and the airport is making efforts to attract more airlines through route development management. The state has already invested US$28.5 million in the airport's modernisation.
Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport has a significant history. Before World War II, it was a stop for Pan American World Airways (PAA), which operated mail flights from Miami to Paramaribo, the then Dutch colony of Suriname. On 7 June 1989, a Surinam Airways flight from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol crashed during its approach to the airport, killing 176 of the 187 people on board. This remains the worst aviation disaster in Suriname's history.
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Paramaribo-Zanderij International Airport is another name for Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport
Suriname, officially the Republic of Suriname, is a country in northern South America. It is the smallest sovereign state in South America in terms of area and population. The country has two international airports: Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport and Zorg en Hoop Airport.
Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport is located in the town of Zanderij, 45 kilometres (28 miles) south of Paramaribo. The airport is officially named after the popular Surinamese politician and former Prime Minister of Suriname, Johan Adolf Pengel. However, locally, it is referred to simply as JAP or Zanderij, the name of the small village and savannah where it is situated.
The airport has an average of 500,000 passengers yearly, mainly on transatlantic flights between Paramaribo and Amsterdam. It also serves regional destinations such as Belém, Georgetown, Cayenne, Panama City, and Miami. In addition to Surinam Airways, other airlines serving this airport include Caribbean Airlines, Fly All Ways, KLM, TUI fly Netherlands, and more.
The Surinamese government has invested in expanding and modernising Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport, including repaving the runway, renovating the plane platforms, and improving the arrival and departure lounges. A new airport terminal is also planned for the near future to accommodate the increasing number of passengers.
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The airport is named after a popular Surinamese politician and former Prime Minister
There are several airports in Suriname, officially the Republic of Suriname, a country in northern South America. It is the smallest sovereign state in South America in terms of area and population.
The country's two international airports are Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport, also known as Paramaribo-Zanderij International Airport, and Zorg en Hoop Airport. The former is located in the town of Zanderij, 45 kilometres (28 miles) south of the capital, Paramaribo. It is named after Johan Adolf Pengel, a popular Surinamese politician of Afro-Surinamese origin and former Prime Minister of Suriname.
Johan Adolf Pengel served as Prime Minister from 30 June 1963 to 5 March 1969. He pursued a policy of fraternization between his party and the largest Hindu party, the VHP, led by Lachmon. He was the first politician to seek redress from the former colonial regime, which gave Suriname a sense of dignity. However, he was accused of exercising his power in a paternalistic manner, and an education strike in 1969 led to his resignation. He died a year later.
Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport has one of the longest runways in the Caribbean region, capable of accommodating medium to large aircraft, including wide-body aircraft such as the Boeing 747 and Airbus A330. This enables the airport to handle long-haul international flights. The airport is currently undergoing modernization, with plans to enhance the passenger experience and expand its capacity to meet growing international travel demand.
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The airport has one of the longest runways in the Caribbean region
Suriname, officially the Republic of Suriname, is a country in northern South America. It is the smallest sovereign state in South America in terms of area and population. The country has two international airports: Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport, also known as Paramaribo-Zanderij International Airport, and Zorg en Hoop.
Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport is located in the town of Zanderij, 45 kilometres (28 miles) south of the capital city of Paramaribo. The airport is named after the popular Surinamese politician and former Prime Minister of Suriname, Johan Adolf Pengel, but is locally still called Zanderij, after the small village and savannah where it is situated.
The airport reached an average of 500,000 passengers yearly in December 2019. The state has invested in expanding and modernizing the airport, with plans to construct a new terminal and a 2.7-kilometre taxiway parallel to the long runway. The total investment is expected to be approximately US$205 million.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, there are airports in Suriname.
Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport (also known as Paramaribo-Zanderij International Airport) is the largest airport in Suriname.
There are at least two airports in Suriname with scheduled commercial airline service: Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport and Zorg en Hoop Airport.
Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport is the busiest airport in Suriname, with an average of 500,000 passengers yearly as of December 2019.










































