Roberta Aguirre
Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport (IATA: SAB, ICAO: TNCS) is an airport on the Dutch Caribbean island of Saba, Netherlands. The airport is also known as Saba Airport and is the third-largest airport in the Caribbean Netherlands. Its runway is widely acknowledged as the shortest commercial runway in the world, with a length of 400 metres (1,312 ft). The airport is closed to jet traffic, but regional airline propeller aircraft are able to land there.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport |
| Airport Code | SAB |
| ICAO Code | TNCS |
| Runway Length | 400 m (1,312 ft) |
| Elevation | 60 ft |
| Coordinates | 17° 38' 43" N , 63° 13' 14" W |
| Location | Saba, Netherlands Antilles |
| Serving | Saba |
| Airlines | Winair |
| Destinations | Sint Maarten, Sint Eustatius |
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What You'll Learn
Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport's ICAO code is TNCS
The ICAO code for Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport, Saba's airport, is TNCS. The airport is named after Aruban Minister Juancho Yrausquin and is located on the Dutch Caribbean island of Saba, in the Netherlands. It is widely acknowledged as having the shortest commercial runway in the world, at just 400 metres (1,312 feet) long. The airport is flanked by high hills and cliffs that drop into the sea at both ends.
Due to the short runway, the airport is closed to jet traffic, but regional airline propeller aircraft are able to land there with special permission from the Netherlands Antilles' Civil Aviation Authority. The most common aircraft to land at the airport are the de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter and Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander, which are STOL (short takeoff and landing) capable.
The idea of building an airport on Saba is credited to Remy de Haenen, who brought the idea to the Saba Economic Council. De Haenen made the first landing on the island of Saba in 1959, but was then prohibited from making further landings. The lack of an airport became a big issue in the 1962 parliamentary elections, and construction of the airport began with funding from the Dutch government. The airport officially began service on July 24, 1963.
Today, Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport is an international airport serving the area of Saba, Caribbean Netherlands. It offers non-stop passenger flights to 2 destinations in 1 country, with 1 domestic flight from Saba to Sint Eustatius. The airport is rated as the most dangerous landing strip in the world by many experienced pilots due to its short runway, location, and the potential for crosswinds.
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The airport is in the Dutch Caribbean
The three northernmost Leeward Islands, which are also the northernmost Lesser Antilles, are Sint Maarten, Saba, and Sint Eustatius. Sint Maarten occupies the southern half of the island of Saint Martin, while the northern half is a French overseas territory. Saba, which is located about 50 kilometres south of Sint Maarten, boasts the highest mountain in the Netherlands, Mount Scenery. Sint Eustatius is in the main Lesser Antilles group and is located south of Sint Maarten and northwest of Saint Kitts and Nevis.
The other three islands, Aruba, Curaçao, and Bonaire, are located just off the Caribbean coastline of northern Venezuela at the westernmost end of the Leeward Antilles. Aruba and Curaçao are in the far south of the Caribbean, roughly 30 and 65 kilometres from the Venezuelan coast, respectively. Bonaire is in the far south of the Caribbean, about 80 kilometres north of Venezuela.
The Dutch Caribbean has a population of approximately 337,617 people as of January 2019. The people of the Dutch Caribbean descend from diverse ethnic groups, including Europeans, Africans, Amerindians, Latin Americans, Jews, Arabs, and Asians. As a result of this diverse history, the islands differ in their ethnic makeup. For example, Arubans tend to have more European and Amerindian ancestry, while people from the other islands, including Saba, tend to have more African ancestry. The inhabitants of the Dutch Caribbean are multilingual, often speaking three to four languages fluently. Papiamento, a Portuguese-based creole, is the predominant language on Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao, while Spanish is also widely spoken on these islands due to their proximity and cultural connections to Venezuela and Colombia. Dutch is the official language on all six islands, although it is not the native or commonly spoken language on any of them. However, Dutch is used in government documents, certain jobs, and education.
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It has the world's shortest commercial runway
The airport code of Saba Airport is SAB, and its ICAO code is TNCS. The airport, officially named Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport, is widely acknowledged as having the shortest commercial runway in the world. The runway is just 400 metres (1,312 feet) long and is flanked by high hills and cliffs that drop into the sea. Due to its short runway, the airport is closed to jet traffic, with only smaller STOL (short takeoff and landing) aircraft, such as the DHC-6 Twin Otter and BN-2 Islander, being able to land there.
The idea of building an airport on Saba is credited to Remy de Haenen, who brought the proposal to the Saba Economic Council. The airport officially began service on July 24, 1963, with regular air service to Saba offered by Windward Islands Airways (Winair) starting in 1965. Winair remains the only airline currently providing scheduled services to and from Yrausquin Airport, operating daily flights to Sint Maarten.
The construction of the airport was not without its challenges. The land chosen for the airport, Flat Point, was cleared and graded in just a couple of weeks. The airport is located 60 feet over the water and is known for its windy conditions and crosswinds, which can cause turbulence and require extra skill from pilots. In fact, many experienced pilots rate it as the most dangerous landing strip in the world. Pilots need special training to land at the airport, and the manager is known for paying close attention to every incoming flight, ensuring safe operations.
Despite its short runway and challenging conditions, the airport has a good safety record, with no major tragedies occurring. The terminal building houses offices for Winair, immigration and security, a fire department, and an advisory tower (not an air traffic control tower). While the airport may not be suitable for those seeking a calm flight, a ferry boat service is available for those who prefer a less thrilling mode of transport.
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It is served by propeller aircraft
Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport (IATA: SAB, ICAO: TNCS) is the airport on the Dutch Caribbean island of Saba, Netherlands. The airport is closed to jet traffic due to its short runway, which is widely acknowledged as the shortest commercial runway in the world at 400 metres (1,312 feet) long. However, propeller aircraft are able to land at the airport under waivers from the Netherlands Antilles' Civil Aviation Authority.
The most common aircraft to land at the airport are the de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter and Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander, due to their STOL (short takeoff and landing) capabilities. These smaller STOL airplanes are well-suited to the short runway at Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport. The DHC-6 Twin Otter, in particular, has been used to service the island since 1965 and continues to be the only aircraft providing scheduled services to and from the airport under the local airline Winair.
In addition to the DHC-6 and BN-2, helicopters are also able to land at the airport, which features a designated helipad. The first aircraft to land on the island of Saba was a Vought-Sikorsky OS2U seaplane piloted by Remy de Haenen on February 9, 1959. De Haenen was instrumental in proposing the idea of building an airport on Saba and surveying the island by air. However, after his initial landing, he was prohibited from making further landings.
The airport officially began service in 1963, and regular air service to Saba was provided by Windward Islands Airways (Winair), which offered flights with a Dornier Do 28 aircraft. Today, Winair continues to be the main airline serving Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport, offering daily flights to Sint Maarten. These flights last around 15 to 20 minutes, making it a very short and safe route.
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It is rated as a dangerous landing strip
Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport (IATA: SAB, ICAO: TNCS) is widely acknowledged as having the shortest commercial runway in the world. The runway is only 400 metres (1,312 ft) long, flanked on one side by high hills, with cliffs that drop into the sea at both ends.
Due to its short runway, the airport is closed to jet traffic, with only smaller STOL (short takeoff and landing) aircraft like the DHC-6 Twin Otter and BN-2 Islander being able to land there. The airport's location on a volcanic island, with the runway sitting just 60 feet over water, means that it is often windy, with crosswinds causing turbulence and requiring extra skills from pilots.
The airport's lack of a control tower, with only an advisory service, means that pilots are solely responsible for the flight during landing and takeoff. The manager of the airport is also known for paying close attention to each flight, and he will complain if he deems a landing to be too sloppy.
These factors have led many experienced pilots to rate it as the most dangerous landing strip in the world. Despite this, there have been no major tragedies recorded at the airport, and the local airline Winair operates up to five flights a day to and from Saba.
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Frequently asked questions
TNCS is the airport ICAO for Saba Airport, also known as Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport.
The airport code for Saba Airport is SAB.
Saba Airport's runway is widely acknowledged as the shortest commercial runway in the world, with a length of 400 metres (1,312 feet).
