Bonaire International Airport

For its size its well maintained and with efficient check in, security and immigration. One cafeteria inside where you also can buy a drink. Tax free with both alcohol, perfumes and gifts is available. We got the luggage quickly after arrival and it was easy to find the rental car place. Pictures are from the departure hall (International). The overall impression is that of a well kept and maintained airport. The only somewhat peculiar thing, for an international airport, was that most announcements were only in Dutch (not English).

The Bonaire International Airport is quite small and compact. Upon arriving, you get out on the tarmac and are escorted to one of two lines (those that paid their tax ahead of time - and those that didn’t). If you paid your visitor’s tax ahead of time, you get the faster line like we did. I highly recommend paying ahead of time and preparing to show your proof! This helps because the sooner you get your baggage (we carried on which made for faster departure), you can go and get your rental car or taxi and leave the airport. Customs is a fairly quick process coming in, even with another plane landing. We found the process to be very fast and only took about 10 minutes to get through, even with a line of about 4 groups ahead of us. For the departure, you’re going to want to make sure you have over 2 1/2 hours before your flight to get here and through all of your lines. It is recommended to go to your carriers line, even if you’re not dropping off baggage, to be sure that you have everything prepared for your flight (times change here often and they sometimes do extra security checks). There is a very long departure line, and since there was only one, expected to take a while to get through. Our departure was at 2pm so we got there around 12p and I’m glad we did. There was already a massive line ahead of us. My husband opted to go through Delta for our baggage drop as I waited in the security line. The area that you wait is open, so expect it to be a little hot, even with the fans going. Once you’re in the departure line, you will go through security check first. They have guidelines for you to follow so read the signs. Once you’re past that point, you will wait in the customs line for one of the two attendance to stamp your passport. Be sure you have your passport ready to go and it will be a fast process. Once you’ve gone through all of those steps, there is a small waiting area enclosed with a fan going. They’re not many seats, but you can go outside instead. There is a restroom outside if you need to go, since the one inside gets busy quickly. There is one small restaurant that does make sandwiches, but expect a long line. We opted to eat before we got there and I’m glad we did, as we wouldn’t have had time to eat otherwise. There is a duty-free shop there for you to pick up cosmetics, Bonaire gifts, and alcohol. It’s small and limited, but does have a couple of things there if you want to pick something up. Once your flight boards , you’re back out on the tarmac and going up the staircase to get into the airplane. It is sunny and windy so I would not recommend a hat unless it’s secure. Once you’re in the plane is a fairly fast process to take off and you’re in the air in no time. The airport is fully wheelchair accessible. I would not say it is very kid friendly as the space is quite cramped; if you want your children to play before boarding the plane I recommend going outside where there’s ample space to do that. Outside is also less crowded and much windier so it’s not as hot. For one of the smallest airports I visited out of 24 countries it is cramped but it is efficient. The staff work really really hard to make sure you don’t miss your flight. If you are tight on time, they will try to get you through as quickly as possible. The staff that work here are super nice and we had a great experience overall.

The airport is small but has everything you need. There’s a cafe across the street at the Avis building. There’s also a small souvenir store with snacks by the check in counters. Inside at the gates there is a food court with drinks, muffins and sandwiches, and more. It is definitely cooler inside the airport. Outside, where you claim luggage, there’s a small room and it gets hot with all the people. They should invest in a big fan. Overall smooth travel to and from so 4 stars.

Nice little airport with bathroom, gift shop and small restaurant. Wheelchair accessible. Paid parking. Convenient car rental across street (avis). Note that you are not supposed to put scuba gear in cars (only trucks) but allegedly you can fit four tanks plus gear for two divers in the trunk of a sedan. I also hear that if you need to remove a bit of excess sand to avoid cleaning fees ($40-$250) that there is a car wash downtown with vacuum cleaners for 50 cents. Also a car will easily get you to most of the sites. Bank machine charges 7.5% on withdrawals of us cash on top of any other fees you may have.

We've traveled to Bonaire nearly 30 times, and while the airport is small, it is historically well run. The only previous complaint is that the baggage takes FOREVER to reach the belt even though you can see the plane sitting just a short distance away. However, our trip home last week was terrible. Whoever currently runs the schedule for the airport had 4 jumbo jets (United, Delta, AA, and Jet Blue) and a regional flight departing within the span of less than 2 hours, which would be fine if the airport was larger, however it cannot easily fit people from even 2 flights leaving in close proximity, which leaves standing room only. So add hundreds of additional people and you had a waiting area with nowhere to sit or even stand and a security line that literally didn't move because there was no additional room in the tiny airport. So this left a line around the outside of the building with people standing indefinitely in the hot sun. Whoever runs this airport and its scheduling currently is beyond incompetent and should be fired, immediately! It leaves a terrible last impression of a lovely island. All the passengers were hot, miserable and angry. When I asked the gate agent, they said "we've all been complaining too!" They need to hire someone with enough intelligence to understand capacity controls, customer comfort, and safety. Because there is no way that having hundreds of people crammed shoulder to shoulder in a confined space is safe or smart. And this completely disregards the marketing aspect of the experience and the importance of leaving people with a positive impression.

One of the smallest airports I've ever been to (maybe the smallest). I think it definitely needs some upgrades as it has changed very little compared to the first time I visited Bonaire (11 years ago). That said, being so small is also an advantage as immigration and customs are usually fast (if no big plane lands at the same time). Remember to pay your visitor tax in advance.

In 2023, I had the pleasure of visiting Bonaire, and it absolutely exceeded my expectations. This peaceful Dutch Caribbean island is a hidden gem, perfect for anyone looking to relax, explore, and enjoy nature at its finest.

Small airport. Self-service kiosks for check-in. Friendly security staff. Very limited amenities. Techno Bar restaurant prior to check-in and a small snack bar in the departure area. Gift shop stores were closed when I arrived around 12pm. Bathrooms are dated and toilets have difficulty flushing. There are charging outlets available and one water fountain to refill your water bottle. Boarding was chaotic - everyone rushes to the tiny gate and they let people through before their gate is supposed to board.