St. Thomas Airport Code: What You Need To Know

what is st thomas airport code

The airport code for St. Thomas is STT. This is the airport code for Cyril E. King Airport, a public airport located on the southwestern side of St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The airport is named after Cyril Emmanuel King, the second elected governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Characteristics Values
Name Cyril E. King Airport
Airport Code STT (IATA), TIST (ICAO)
Location No. 70 Lindbergh Bay, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
Address P. O. Box 1134, St.
Size 280 acres
Runway 7,000 ft x 150 ft (2,134 m x 46 m)
Runway Type Asphalt
Terminal Size 250,000 sq. ft. (190,000 sq. ft. on the first floor, 60,000 sq. ft. on the top floor)
Gates 11
Aircraft Operations (as of Sept 30, 2017) 61,255 (167 per day)
Aircraft Breakdown (as of Sept 30, 2017) 58% air taxi, 14% scheduled commercial, 27% general aviation, 1% military
Based Aircraft (as of Sept 30, 2017) 98 (59% multi-engine, 35% single engine, 3% helicopters, 2% jet engine, 1% ultralight)
Flight School Ace Flight Center
Private Aviation Execujet Flight Services, St. Thomas Jet Center
Hours 6 am to 11 pm
Services Aircraft rescue, firefighting, airline ticketing, U.S. Customs, TSA
Discrimination Policy Does not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, sex, creed, or disability

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Cyril E. King Airport's history

The Cyril E. King Airport (IATA: STT, ICAO: TIST, FAA LID: STT) is a public airport located on the island of St. Thomas in the United States Virgin Islands. It is one of the busiest airports in the eastern Caribbean, servicing 1,403,000 passengers from July 2015 through June 2016. The airport also serves the island of St. John and travellers heading to the British Virgin Islands.

The airport is named after Cyril Emmanuel King, the second elected governor of the US Virgin Islands. The facility was originally known as Mosquito Bay in 1927, the only airstrip serving the island of St. Thomas. The bay was renamed Lindbergh Bay after Charles Lindbergh used it to land the Spirit of St. Louis. The first passengers arrived on 22 January 1928, on a monoplane called La Nina, owned by the Aerial Express Co. of San Juan. The US government purchased the airstrip in 1935, renaming it Bourne Field, and it served primarily as an airfield for the US Military.

After the military ceased operations in the territory following World War II, the airport was turned over to the VI government. The original airport terminal was a former military hangar constructed in the 1940s and was named after President Harry S. Truman. In 1940, the US Navy ordered a major expansion of the base, which saw the extension and paving of the runways. On 25 March 1950, the Department of the Interior leased the land to the Virgin Islands, but the lease was cancelled in 1954 due to violations of the agreement. The airport was eventually renamed for former governor Cyril King in 1984.

The current airport terminal was constructed between 1980 and 1990, with the runway extended to its present length of 7,000 ft in 1992. The Cyril E. King Airport features one of the largest deep-water, dredged runways in the Caribbean. The airport covers an area of 280 acres and includes a flight school, Ace Flight Center. Execujet Flight Services and St. Thomas Jet Center handle private aviation.

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Location and layout

The airport code for St. Thomas is STT, and its ICAO code is TIST. The airport in question is Cyril E. King Airport, named after the second elected governor of the US Virgin Islands. It is located at No. 70 Lindbergh Bay on the southwestern side of St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, and is approximately two miles west of the capital city, Charlotte Amalie. The airport sits on about 280 acres of land and has one asphalt runway, which measures 7,000 ft x 150 ft (2,134 x 46 m). This makes it one of the deepest man-made runways in the world.

The Cyril E. King Airport terminal was built in November 1990 and has two storeys. The first floor measures 190,000 square feet and has 11 gates across two departure areas. The top floor is 60,000 square feet. The terminal is open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., with aircraft rescue and firefighting services available during those times. Airline ticketing and federal services, such as U.S. Customs and TSA, may close earlier.

The airport is one of the busiest in the eastern Caribbean. For the 12-month period ending on 30 September 2017, the airport had 61,255 aircraft operations, averaging 167 per day. Of those, 58% were air taxis, 14% were scheduled commercial, 27% were general aviation, and 1% were military. There were 98 aircraft based at the airport at that time, with 59% multi-engine, 35% single-engine, 3% helicopters, 2% jet engine, and 1% ultralight. There is also a flight school at the airport, Ace Flight Centre, and Execujet Flight Services and St. Thomas Jet Centre handle private aviation on the north side of the runway.

The history of the airport dates back to the 1920s when it was a small airstrip in Mosquito Bay, which was renamed Lindbergh Bay. The first passengers arrived on 22 January 1928. The US government developed the airstrip, renaming it Bourne Field, and it served as an airfield for the US military. After World War II, the airport was turned over to the VI government, and the original terminal was a former military hangar constructed in the 1940s. The airport was named after President Harry S. Truman.

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Airlines operating at the airport

The airport code for St. Thomas is STT, and the airport is named Cyril E. King Airport. It is a public airport located at No. 70 Lindbergh Bay on the southwestern side of St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. It is one of the busiest airports in the eastern Caribbean.

A number of airlines have operated scheduled passenger jet services into St. Thomas in the past. These include:

  • Air Florida
  • Caribair
  • Eastern Airlines
  • Midway Airlines
  • Pan American World Airways (Pan Am)
  • Trans Caribbean Airways
  • American Airlines

Trans Caribbean, Pan Am, and Caribair were all operating jet services into St. Thomas by the late 1960s when the airport runway was only 4,658 feet (1,420 m) long. American Airlines has served St. Thomas for many years, having begun serving the airport in 1970 after its acquisition of and merger with Trans Caribbean Airways.

In 1975, American Airlines, Eastern Airlines, and Pan Am were serving the airport with Boeing 727-100 jetliners, with American and Pan Am offering nonstop flights from New York Kennedy Airport.

In addition to the above, the following airlines are also mentioned in relation to Cyril E. King Airport:

  • Frontier Airlines
  • Sea Princess
  • Holland America Line
  • MS Zuiderdam

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Incidents at the airport

The airport code for St. Thomas Airport is STT. The airport is officially known as Cyril E. King Airport, and it is located at No. 70 Lindbergh Bay on the southwestern side of St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.

Trans Caribbean Airways Flight 505

On December 28, 1970, a Trans Caribbean Airways Flight 505, operated with a Boeing 727-200 jetliner, made a hard landing and veered off the runway. Two of the 48 passengers on board died in the subsequent fire, and the aircraft was destroyed.

American Airlines Flight 625

On April 27, 1976, an American Airlines Flight 625, serviced by a Boeing 727-100 jetliner, ran off the end of the runway, resulting in the deaths of 37 of the 88 passengers on board. The runway was only 4,658 feet long at the time.

Tol-Air Services Incident

On December 30, 2003, a Tol-Air Services flight originating from San Juan, Puerto Rico, suffered substantial damage when its starboard undercarriage collapsed upon landing.

Tol-Air Services Ditch

On July 19, 2006, a Tol-Air Services flight departing from Cyril E. King Airport experienced engine failure shortly after take-off and ditched into the sea off Charlotte Amalie. Fortunately, all four people on board escaped safely before the aircraft sank.

Kestrel Convair C-131F Emergency

A Kestrel Convair C-131F cargo flight departing from St. Thomas' runway 28 reported an engine fire and loss of hydraulics, forcing the crew to return to the airport.

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Services and facilities

The airport code for St. Thomas Airport is STT. The airport is officially known as the Cyril E. King Airport, located at No. 70 Lindbergh Bay on the southwestern side of St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. Covering an area of 280 acres, it is one of the busiest airports in the eastern Caribbean.

The airport's two-story terminal was built in November 1990. It has a total of 11 gates across two departure areas. The first floor measures 190,000 square feet, while the top floor is 60,000 square feet. The terminal is open from 6 am to 11 pm, providing aircraft rescue and firefighting services during this time. Airline ticketing and federal services, such as U.S. Customs and TSA, may close earlier.

The airport has two restaurants, but no 24-hour food concessions. Information about mobile charging availability and Wi-Fi access is currently unavailable.

Dolphin Water Taxi offers services to St. John and the British Virgin Islands, with pickup available right from baggage claim.

There are no dedicated sleeping areas, quiet areas, or rest zones within the airport. However, travellers can find nearby hotels such as the Emerald Beach Resort and the Lindbergh Bay Hotel and Villas.

The airport also has a flight school, Ace Flight Center, and private aviation services are handled by Execujet Flight Services and St. Thomas Jet Center, located on the north side of the runway.

Frequently asked questions

The airport code for Cyril E. King Airport in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, is STT.

The airport was originally known as Mosquito Bay when it was built in the 1920s. It was renamed Lindbergh Bay after Charles Lindbergh landed there in the Spirit of St. Louis. The US government purchased the airport in 1935 and renamed it Bourne Field. It was then used as a military airfield. After World War II, the airport was turned over to the Virgin Islands government and renamed after President Harry S. Truman. In 1984, the airport was renamed Cyril E. King Airport after the former governor.

Airlines that operate out of St. Thomas Airport include American Airlines, Eastern Airlines, Pan Am, and Frontier Airlines.

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