Airports in Aruba

<p>Queen Beatrix International Airport, carrying the airport code <strong>AUA</strong>, is Aruba's only commercial airport and the gateway for almost every visitor to the One Happy Island. It sits just southeast of the capital, <a href='/destinations/oranjestad'>Oranjestad</a>, a short drive from the cruise harbour, the colourful Dutch colonial streets and the island's calm leeward beaches, so you can clear arrivals and be standing on the sand the same afternoon.</p><p>Despite serving a small island, AUA is one of the busiest airports in the Dutch Caribbean, with nonstop service from across the United States, Canada, the Netherlands, South America and other Caribbean hubs. The single modern terminal handles a steady stream of long-haul and regional jets, which means fewer connections and a real chance of a single-flight arrival from many North American and European cities.</p><h3>US pre-clearance</h3><p>One feature sets AUA apart: it has a <strong>United States Customs and Border Protection pre-clearance facility</strong>. Passengers on US-bound flights complete American immigration and customs in Oranjestad before they board, so when you land back in the United States you arrive as a domestic passenger and skip the customs queues. Allow extra time at departure for this process, and follow your airline's check-in cut-off carefully.</p><h3>The terminal</h3><p>The terminal is bright, air-conditioned and easy to navigate. Inside you will find duty-free and souvenir shops, cafes and bars, ATMs that dispense local Aruban florins, currency exchange, free passenger wifi and a row of car-rental desks. Staff and signage switch comfortably between Papiamento, Dutch, English and Spanish, so language is rarely an obstacle.</p><h3>Getting to Palm Beach and Eagle Beach</h3><p>Taxis wait outside arrivals and use fixed government-set rates marked TX rather than meters, so the fare is agreed before you set off. The ride to the resort strip is short: roughly 10 to 15 minutes to <a href='/destinations/eagle-beach'>Eagle Beach</a> and <a href='/destinations/palm-beach'>Palm Beach</a> in <a href='/destinations/noord'>Noord</a>, and only a few minutes into central Oranjestad. The Arubus public bus also runs from the airport into town and up the hotel zone for a budget fare, with the main hub beside the cruise terminal in the capital.</p><p>Renting a car is popular for reaching the wilder corners of the island and you drive on the right here. From the airport it is an easy run to the leeward coves at <a href='/beaches/arashi-beach'>Arashi Beach</a> and <a href='/beaches/boca-catalina'>Boca Catalina</a>, the <a href='/attractions/california-lighthouse'>California Lighthouse</a>, and the rugged interior of <a href='/parks/arikok-national-park'>Arikok National Park</a>. Aruba sits well outside the hurricane belt, so flights arrive into reliably warm, dry and breezy weather almost year-round, cooled by steady trade winds.</p>