Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport

History

Originally known as Belize International Airport, the airport was renamed in honor of Philip S. W. Goldson on 7 February 1988.

Military use

Due to the Belizean–Guatemalan territorial dispute, Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport has hosted several military units over the years since its construction. In 1984, a senior US Air Force General stated that it was "the best defended airfield in Central America". Most notable residents have been Headquarters British Forces Belize, No. 1417 (Tactical Ground Attack) Flight RAF operating Harrier jump jets, No. 1563 (Helicopter support) Flight RAF, resident Anti-Aircraft Squadrons of the RAF Regiment, resident helicopter units of the Army Air Corps, HarDet Belize, Butcher Radar and Belize Defence Forces, among others. Price Barracks is a military installation located just north of the airport, which was formerly known as Airport Camp, the headquarters of British Forces Belize.

Historical airline service

In 1950, TACA Airlines (which is now Avianca Honduras) was operating weekly nonstop flights to New Orleans and San Salvador as well as weekly direct one stop service to Managua with Douglas DC-4 propliners. TACA subsequently began operating Vickers Viscount turboprops on a weekly southbound service flying a routing of New Orleans - Belize City - Guatemala City - San Salvador - Tegucigalpa - Managua - San Jose, Costa Rica - Panama City, Panama. In 1953, British West Indian Airways (BWIA, which is now Caribbean Airlines) in association with British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC, which is now British Airways) was operating one flight a week to Belize from Kingston, Jamaica via an intermediate stop in Grand Cayman with a Vickers VC.1 Viking twin-prop aircraft with this flight offering connecting service via Kingston from a BOAC flight that operated a routing from London, England via stops in New York City, Nassau, Bahamas and Montego Bay, Jamaica. BWIA in conjunction with BOAC would later operate weekly nonstop service between the airport and Kingston with Vickers Viscount turboprop aircraft. Thirty years later in 1983, four airlines were operating jet service into the airport according to the Official Airline Guide (OAG) including Air Florida with nonstop Boeing 737-200 flights from Miami and San Pedro Sula, Servicio Aereo de Honduras (SAHSA) with nonstop Boeing 727-100 flights from Houston (via Houston Intercontinental Airport), New Orleans and San Pedro Sula, TACA Airlines International with nonstop Boeing 737-200 and British Aircraft Corporation BAC One-Eleven flights from Houston (via Houston Intercontinental Airport), Miami, New Orleans and San Salvador, and Transportes Aereos Nacionales (TAN Airlines) with nonstop Boeing 737-200 flights from Miami and San Pedro Sula while local air carrier Maya Airways was operating domestic service in Belize with Britten-Norman Islander twin-prop aircraft. Also according to the OAG, by 1989 TACA had introduced wide body Boeing 767-200 nonstop service to Miami in addition to its Boeing 737-200 flights with other service to Miami at this time being operated by Eastern Airlines with Boeing 727-200s as well as TAN with Boeing 737-200s.

Belize Airways Ltd. was a scheduled passenger airline based at the airport which operated flights to Miami, San Pedro Sula, San Salvador and La Ceiba with Boeing 720 and stretched British Aircraft Corporation BAC One-Eleven series 500 jetliners operated at various times during its existence from 1977 to 1980 according to its timetables.

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

| Air Canada Rouge | Seasonal: Montréal–Trudeau, Toronto–Pearson | Alaska Airlines| Los Angeles Seasonal: Seattle/Tacoma | American Airlines | Dallas/Fort Worth, Miami Seasonal: Charlotte | Copa Airlines | Panama City–Tocumen | Delta Air Lines | Atlanta Seasonal: Minneapolis/St. Paul | JetBlue | New York–JFK | Maya Island Air | Caye Caulker, Caye Chapel, Corozal, Dangriga, Placencia, Punta Gorda, San Pedro | Southwest Airlines | Houston–Hobby Seasonal: Baltimore, Denver | Spirit Airlines | Fort Lauderdale | Sun Country Airlines | Seasonal: Minneapolis/St. Paul | TAG Airlines | Guatemala City | Tropic Air | Cancún, Caye Caulker, Corozal, Dangriga, Placencia, Punta Gorda, Roatán, San Pedro, San Pedro Sula | United Airlines | Houston–Intercontinental Seasonal: Chicago–O'Hare, Denver, Los Angeles, Newark, San Francisco |WestJet | Seasonal: Calgary, Toronto–Pearson

Cargo

|Amerijet International |Miami

Accidents and incidents

On 17 April 2025, a US national hijacked Tropic Air Flight 711 flying from Corozal to San Pedro, stabbing and injuring two passengers. He was shot dead by another passenger after the aircraft made an emergency landing at the airport.

Statistics

References

References

1. "Philip S.W. Goldson International Airport - About us". Belize Airport Concession Company Limited.
2. "Belize Airport Facts and Figures".
3. (February 1988). "Airport Gets New Name; Ground Broken for New Terminal Building". Belize Information Service.
4. (1984). "Belize". Armed Forces.
5. (Oct 19, 1950). "TACA International Airlines International Schedule".
6. (December 1, 1962). "TACA International Airlines timetable".
7. (1 July 1953). "BWIA Timetable".
8. (September 1, 1963). "British West Indian Airways Fall/Winter Schedules".
9. "Airlines and Aircraft Serving Belize City Effective July 1, 1983".
10. "To Miami International Airport (Page 1 of 2) Effective January 15, 1989".
11. (Dec 1, 1977). "Belize Airways, Ltd. International Schedule".
12. "Belize Airlines Ltd. Timetable".
13. https://www.travelweek.ca/news/airlines/air-canada-to-resume-nonstops-to-lima-adds-new-routes-to-central-america-and-mexico/
14. (30 May 2023). "Air Canada NW23 Caribbean / Central America Operation Changes – 29MAY23". aeroroutes.com.
15. "Routes In Brief: November's Rolling Daily Updates {{!".
16. (2024). "Copa Airlines Expands Service to Belize, Boosting South American Tourism". Belize Hub.
17. (June 6, 2023). "JetBlue Expands Caribbean Network, Adding Service to Belize and St. Kitts, Out For Sale Starting Today". JetBlue Newsroom.
18. "All Southwest Airlines International Flight Destinations".
19. Wichter, Zach. (August 5, 2025). "Spirit adds new Caribbean routes with fares as low as $66 one-way". [[Gannett]].
20. "Belize and United Airlines Announce New Non-stop Flight from San Francisco".
21. (April 17, 2025). "Plane passenger shoots, kills US hijacker on Belize flight". [[New Zealand Herald]].