Martinique Aimé Césaire International Airport

Martinique Aimé Césaire International Airport (French: Aéroport international de Martinique-Aimé-Césaire, pronounced [maʁtinik ɛme sezɛːʁ]) (IATA: FDF, ICAO: TFFF) is an international airport of Martinique in the French West Indies. Located in Le Lamentin, a suburb of the capital Fort-de-France, it was opened in 1950 and renamed in 2007, after author and politician Aimé Césaire.

Martinique Aimé Césaire International Airport

Aéroport international de Martinique-Aimé-Césaire
Summary
Airport typePublic
OperatorAéroports Français
ServesFort-de-France, Martinique
LocationLe Lamentin
Opened1950; 74 years ago (1950)
Focus city for
Elevation AMSL16 ft / 5 m
Coordinates14°35′32″N 060°59′47″W / 14.59222°N 60.99639°W / 14.59222; -60.99639
Map
FDF is located in Martinique
FDF
FDF
Location in Martinique
Map
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
10/28 3,000 9,843 Asphalt
Statistics (2023)
Passengers1,859,392
Passenger traffic changeIncrease 6.1%
Aircraft movements14,746
Aircraft movements changeDecrease 5.3%
Sources: French AIP,[1] Aeroport.fr[2]

Facilities

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The airport is at an elevation of 16 ft (5 m) above mean sea level. It has one runway designated 10/28 with an asphalt surface measuring 3,000 m × 45 m (9,843 ft × 148 ft).[1] When Air Martinique existed, its headquarters were located on the airport property.[3][4] The runway is of a length that can accommodate large jets, including 747s from France. On at least two occasions, the Concorde flew from Paris and landed at the airport in Martinique.[5]

Passenger facilities include police, customs, baggage claim, pharmacy, vaccination bureau, handicap facilities, tobacconist, bank, money changing, souvenir shops, tax-free shopping, gift shop, florist, hairdresser, car rentals, taxi, parking, restaurants, cafés and bars, and two hotels.[citation needed]

Cargo facilities include a 747 freighter dock, bonded warehouse, transit zone, mechanical handling, heated storage, refrigerated storage, mortuary, fresh meat inspection, health officials, very large/heavy cargo, and an express/courier centre.[citation needed]

Airlines and destinations

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AirlinesDestinations
Air Antilles Pointe-à-Pitre
Air Canada Montréal–Trudeau
Seasonal: Toronto–Pearson[6]
Air Caraïbes Paris–Orly, Pointe-à-Pitre
Air France Cayenne, Paris–Charles de Gaulle, Paris–Orly, Pointe-à-Pitre
Air Transat Seasonal: Montréal–Trudeau[citation needed]
American Airlines Miami
Caribbean Airlines Barbados,[7] Port of Spain[8]
Corsair International Paris–Orly
Seasonal: Nantes[citation needed]
ITA Airways Seasonal charter: Rome–Fiumicino[9]
Sky High Havana, Santo Domingo–Las Américas
Sunrise Airways Antigua,[10] Barbados,[10] Castries,[10] Port-au-Prince
Winair Barbados,[11] Castries,[11] Dominica–Douglas-Charles,[12] Sint Maarten[13]

Statistics

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Annual passenger traffic at FDF airport. See Wikidata query.

Accidents and incidents

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  • 30 August 1979: an IRMA/Britten Norman BN-2A-8 Islander (F-OGGL) of Air Martinique was damaged beyond repair while standing, likely from Hurricane David.[14]
  • 17 July 1994: an IRMA/Pilatus Britten-Norman BN-2B-26 Islander (8P-TAD) of Air Martinique leased from Trans Island Air crashed into Les Pitons du Cabbets at 21:45, 13 km (8.1 miles) NNW of Fort-de-France while on approach from Bridgetown, killing all 6 occupants. The plane crashed just 15 feet below the hills' 2795 foot summit. The cause was found to be pilot failure.[15]
  • 10 October 2024: Protesters occupied the airport tarmac overnight and tried to enter the terminal, disrupting several flights and trapping hundreds of passengers.[16]

References

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  1. ^ a b TFFF – FORT DE FRANCE LE LAMENTIN. AIP from French Service d'information aéronautique, effective 28 November 2024.
  2. ^ "Résultats d'activité des aéroports français 2018" (PDF). aeroport.fr. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  3. ^ "World Airline Directory." Flight International. 31 March 1984. [1].
  4. ^ "World Airline Directory." Flight International. 17–23 March 1999. 43. "Aéroport du Lamentin, Fort de France, 97232, Martinique"
  5. ^ Nodin, Joseph (8 July 2015). "Il y a 20 ans le Concorde atterrissait en Martinique pour l'inauguration de l'aérogare". Martinique 1ère. Archived from the original on 11 July 2015. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
  6. ^ "Air Canada to Launch First-Ever Flights between Toronto and Martinique". Travelpulse Canada. 28 April 2023. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
  7. ^ "Caribbean Airlines Dec 2024 Regional Network Addition". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
  8. ^ "Caribbean Airlines to fly to Martinique and Guadeloupe from December". Guardian. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
  9. ^ "ITA Airways inizia i voli charter sulla Martinica". 3 December 2022.
  10. ^ a b c "Sunrise Airways NW24 Caribbean Network Additions". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  11. ^ a b "Winair NW24 Network Expansion". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  12. ^ https://dominicanewsonline.com/news/homepage/news/winair-takes-flight-to-martinique-expanding-regional-connectivity/ [bare URL]
  13. ^ "Winair Adds Fort-de-France – Dominica Sector From April 2024". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
  14. ^ "ASN Aircraft accident IRMA/Britten-Norman BN-2A-8 Islander F-OGGL Fort de France-Lamentin Airport (FDF)". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  15. ^ "ASN Aircraft accident IRMA/Pilatus Britten-Norman BN-2B-26 Islander 8P-TAD Fort de France-Lamentin Airport (FDF)". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  16. ^ "Martinique's airport briefly closes after violent protesters overrun the tarmac". Associated Press. 11 October 2024. Retrieved 11 October 2024.
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