Providenciales International Airport (PLS)
Airport Road, ProvidencialesAll COVID-19 related travel restrictions have been removed for travel to the Turks and Caicos.
The Providenciales International Airport is the primary airport in the Turks and Caicos. All scheduled international flights to the country land at this gateway.
The island of Provo welcomes flights from over two dozen international cities, including London, New York, Washington D.C., Miami, Toronto, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Philadelphia, and Atlanta.
Several international airlines fly to the Turks and Caicos, including British Airways, American Airlines, United, Air Canada, Delta, Jet Blue, West Jet, and InterCaribbean. All airlines share a general ticketing and check-in hall. There are no satellite terminals.
The Providenciales Airport IATA code is PLS, the ICAO code is MBPV.
The airport has been nominally renamed the Howard Hamilton International Airport, however, the name Providenciales International Airport remains the dominant name used. Howard Hamilton was a local entrepreneur who founded one of the first local airlines in the Turks and Caicos.
Check-In Info
| Providenciales International Airport Facts | |
| Airport Code | IATA: PLS, ICAO: MBPV |
| Runway Length | 9,199 feet (2,804 meters) |
| Elevation | 15 feet (5 meters) |
| Runway Direction | 10/28 |
| Clearance Status | International Entry |
| Car Parking | $2 per hour, $25 per day |
Most airlines recommend arriving at least 2 hours before international flights. For domestic flights, 45 minutes is sufficient.
Due to overcrowding at the airport (there has been a large increase in flights over the last decade, with a small increase in terminal space), the airports authority requests that all passengers arrive only 2 hours before their flight.
Saturday and Sunday Flights
You should give yourself additional time to check in on Saturday and Sunday. There is a high number of flights on these days and this can lead to delays in check-in and security.
Airport Fast Track
An airport Fast Track concierge service is available at additional cost and allows guests to bypass the queues at Immigration and Customs on arrival, and check-in and security at departure. Several different Fast Track packages are offered, and prices start at $65 per person.
Immigration, Passport, and Customs Information
You’ll need to clear immigration and collect your baggage before proceeding through customs. Unlike in some other Caribbean airports (such as Nassau), there are no pre-clearance facilities operated by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection for U.S. Nationals returning home.
Immigration clearance can be over an hour depending on the day and time of your arrival.
The Providenciales International Airport is a relatively small facility, and only has two baggage carousels. During typical conditions, there isn’t much of a wait for luggage, and customs is generally efficient as well.
Luggage carts ($5 usage fee) and porters are onsite.
Terminal Facilities and Services
There is one departure lounge each for international and domestic flights. The international lounge can become crowded at times, but plans are underway for expansion.
The check-in hall features an open-air design, and has both traditional check-in counters with staff, and automated kiosks for some of the major airlines.
Before the international security checkpoint, there are resin copies of the stones from the Sapodilla Bay Hill Rock Carvings.
The international departure lounge features two levels, and seating is found in both areas. The upper level also offers an outdoor viewing deck and limited amounts of seating, as well as a VIP and first-class lounge.
Internet
The departure lounge is covered by a complimentary Flow Wi-Fi hot spot. Unfortunately, the connection doesn’t always function, and is often poor when it is operational.
Shopping and Eating
A restaurant, Gilly’s Restaurant, is found outside the security checkpoint in the main terminal. Gilly’s Café, a small bar that also serves food, is located in the upper level of the international departure lounge.
Several gift, souvenir, duty-free, and jewelry shops are located on the lower level of the departure lounge, including The Wellington Collection, which features unique gifts and art made in the Turks and Caicos, and a kiosk for Turkberry, which is a popular local frozen yogurt shop.
Currency Exchange
There is no Bureau de Change at the airport. You are advised to exchange currency before you arrive. Currency can be exchanged at local banks, but the fees are exorbitant and queues can be over an hour for service.
Lost and Found
To contact the Providenciales International Airport regarding lost and found items, please call airport security at +1 (649) 941-4380, or contact the Turks and Caicos Airport Authority at +1 (649) 946-4420, and ask to be transferred to the security desk.
Ground Transportation and Taxis
Taxis and cars (both private and rental) are the only forms of ground transportation from the airport.
Taxis are available directly outside the baggage claim area. We advise you to confirm your fare (total for all passengers) before setting off. There are fixed fares as set in the ordinance (and often posted by other information sources), but these are not always respected.
We recommend that most visitors rent a car because of the lack of public transportation. Find out more at Getting Around Providenciales, Providenciales Car Rentals, and Driving in the Turks and Caicos. See Providenciales Taxis for more information on taxi fares, stands, and availability.
Some accommodations, such as vacation rental villas, offer complimentary airport pick-up and drop-off.
Transport from the Providenciales Airport to Grace Bay
Grace Bay is the home to the majority of resorts, hotels, and restaurants on Providenciales. This region of Providenciales is about a ten-minute journey by car from the airport.
In the case of visitors picking up a rental car at the airport (recommended), it’s not difficult finding Grace Bay. Simply follow Leeward Highway from the Downtown area to its conclusion at the Gateway to Grace Bay roundabout, and follow the short Allegro Road to the center of Grace Bay.
Taxi fares for two people typically cost $28-34. Be aware that taxis may multiply the fare by the number of passengers, and we advise clarifying the total rate for your party before embarking.
Airport Transport Businesses
Parking
Parking fees are on par with major international airports such as London Heathrow and Miami International Airport. It is illegal to leave cars unattended at the curbside.
The small car park is located a short distance from the terminal, which does become full at times. As usual, don’t leave any valuables in your car as there isn't security personnel at the car park.
The Providenciales Airport Authority has recently begun the practice of towing and clamping improperly-parked vehicles. We advise against leaving a car unattended for any length of time outside of the car park.
| Airport Parking Fees | |
| Hour (or part) | $2.00 |
| Day | $25.00 |
| Week | $175.00 |
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Arrivals
Departures
Renovations and a New Terminal
As of July 2022, plans are now progressing to make major improvements to the current Providenciales International Airport and terminal, as well as concurrently building a new terminal to the west of the current location.
The Turks and Caicos government is working with ALG Consulting, a Canadian firm that specializes in logistics, infrastructure, and transportation, to create a workable strategy in the short term to reduce congestion issues and improve the air passenger experience, while building a new and much larger terminal that can serve the forecasted needs of the Turks and Caicos for at least 30 years.
Current projections are that around 300 million dollars will be spent on improvements to the existing airport and the new terminal.
Short Term Improvements
Several improvements are expected to be made to the current terminal and runway, with goals of finishing much of the following in 2023:
- Relocation of current administration offices upstairs at the airport, to allow for an increase of the departure lounge.
- Improvements to security, immigration, and customs, to greatly improve the rate of processing, including the introduction of E-gates.
- Improvements to baggage hall and baggage handling facilities.
- Adding a turning pad, and parallel taxiway on the north-eastern side of the runway, to greatly reduce the time aircraft spend on the primary runway.
- Expanding the current terminal on both the eastern and western sides.
- Adding a parallel taxiway on the north-western side of the runway, to reduce the time aircraft are on the primary runway.
New Terminal in 2027
The primary goal of the Providenciales International Airport Expansion Project is to build a new and modern terminal, with a goal of completing the terminal in 2027. The new terminal is expected to have four sky bridges to service large aircraft, and bus service between the terminal and aircraft to service smaller aircraft, domestic flights, and large international aircraft that can’t be accommodated by the sky bridges.
Private Aircraft and Fixed Base Operators
For information on traveling by private plane, see Turks and Caicos FBOs and Private Planes.
There are two FBOs on Providenciales, and these full-service facilities cater to luxury and commercial aviation.