Latest and earliest planes each day?

stbartshopper

Senior Insider
Sunset was at 6:12 tonight. Planes are still landing and taking off now. It is getting dark. Is it the decision of the pilots or does the airport shut and open at a specified time each day such as sunset and sunrise?
 
SBH airport officially opens at 7:00 am and closes at sunset + 15 minutes (with some exceptions such as medical evacuations). Pilots are made aware of the exact sunset time through various aeronautical sources (including the agents at the tower). It is cause for concern when running late, as a mandatory diversion will take place at sunset + 16 minutes. Dense traffic and shorter winter days do not help, particularly during the holidays. ETA on the GPS screen is the primary information that the pilot will use to assess the options.

Worth noting is that the shortest days of the year in the Caribbean are around Thanksgiving. Sunset is at 5:34 pm during the last 2 weeks of November, with the latest landing at 5:49 pm. In December, days start to be longer with a sunset at 5:45 pm on Christmas Day.
 
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