Saint Thomas Island Cyril E King Airport (STT) Flights & Flight Status

Saint Thomas Island Cyril E King Airport (STT) is a leading gateway to the US Virgin Islands, four miles from the island capital of Charlotte Amalie. It is the East Caribbean’s busiest airport. While navigating the two-story terminal is easy, it can be hectic on heavy travel days, particularly on Saturdays.

Many fly to STT to visit the island of St. John and the British Virgin Islands. There are interisland flights available, including boat flights and ferries near the airport. We’ll also go over the best way to connect to these.

Renovations at STT

St Thomas Airport’s two-story terminal dates back to 1990 and was initially designed for 300,000 passengers a year. The airport currently serves more than double that number of passengers annually. There are plans to upgrade and renovate the terminal to significantly improve the passenger experience.

I find that it’s best to pack patience and bring a relaxed island mindset. It’s a beautiful destination, and there’s no point in stressing over a little airport crowding.

Airlines serving Cyril E King Airport (STT)

US airlines that fly to STT include American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Frontier, JetBlue, Spirit Airlines, and United Airlines. International carriers often offer codeshare flights with US partners through connections at a continental US airport. Carriers offering interisland flights include Air Sunshine, Cape Air and Silver Airways.

Arrivals at Saint Thomas Island Cyril E King Airport (STT)

For international flights, visitors will clear US Customs & Border Protection at the connecting airport on the US mainland.

US citizens don’t require a passport to fly to the US Virgin Islands but must show two IDs for proof of citizenship before returning home. Those can include a raised seal birth certificate and a government-issued photo ID like a driver’s license or REAL ID.

If you have a passport, I find it’s easier to bring this as your ID. You will also need a passport to travel to the British Virgin Islands.

Aircraft park on the apron at STT

The STT terminal has no jetways, so aircraft are parked on the apron. You must use the stairs to get off the plane, then walk to the terminal’s arrivals area. I find checking luggage easier than taking the stairs with a carry-on.

Baggage claim

You'll find baggage claim carousels as you arrive at the main terminal building. There are also transport providers, a bar, a beauty shop, and stands selling beverages and snacks. Enjoy a complimentary shot of St. Croix Cruzan rum while you wait for your bags.

Transportation within St. Thomas

If you’re staying at a resort, they will likely arrange transportation and may have greeters present at the airport. I recommend checking with the resort in advance.

USVI-licensed taxis are available at the airport. These are identified with a dome light and the letters TP on their license plates. Unlicensed taxis may charge higher rates. I recommend confirming the rate before you get in the cab to avoid an unpleasant surprise. Many taxi services operate mini-vans, which means you must wait for the van to be full unless you’re traveling in a large enough group to have a van on your own. You will also make multiple stops as the taxi drops off other passengers.

You can rent a car at the airport from Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Hertz or a local rental provider. I recommend booking your car rental before you depart for St. Thomas. Cars go very quickly, and you may be disappointed if you wait until you arrive.

An important note about driving in St. Thomas

On St. Thomas Island, cars drive on the left lane. However, they are imported from the US, so the driver’s column is also on the left. This takes a little getting used to, even if you’ve driven on the left before. Many island roads are narrow and windy. I recommend renting a small car. That way, you won’t have trouble getting through roads and finding parking will be easier. Be sure to get full insurance coverage on your rental and take photos or a video of any damage you find when collecting it.

Interisland transportation

You’ll need to travel to St. John by sea as the nearby island has no airport.

There are two ferry routes between St. Thomas and St. John. The shortest route is between Red Hook on St. Thomas and Cruz Bay on St. John and takes around 20 minutes. However, getting to Red Hook from the airport can take a while, so you’re not really saving time. The longer ferry route (40 minutes) departs from downtown Charlotte Amalie on St. Thomas to Cruz Bay on St. John and is only 10 minutes by taxi from the St. Thomas airport.

There are fewer ferries to St. John leaving from Charlotte Amalie than from Red Hook. The Charlotte Amalie Ferry departs for St. John at 10:00 am, 1:00 pm and 5:30 pm. The Red Hook Ferry departs at 6:30 am, 7:30 am, and 8:00 am and then goes hourly to midnight. If you must take the ferry at Red Hook, ask your taxi driver to take the inland route, saving you some time.

St. Croix is further and has its own airport, so you can fly there directly, though there are fewer flights available. There is also a ferry service between the islands. For a treat, I recommend trying the seaplane connection, which you can take from the Charles F. Blair Charlotte Amalie Harbor Seaplane Base (SPB) downtown.

You can also visit the British Virgin Islands by ferry from St. Thomas. To visit Puerto Rico, you must book an interisland flight.

Hotels near Saint Thomas Island Cyril E King Airport

All hotels, resorts and villas on St. Thomas are reasonably close to the airport. The island is only 13 miles long and four miles wide, and takes under two hours to drive across. Your main hurdle will be dealing with traffic, especially on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Still, if you want to stay near, I recommend you try the beachfront Emerald Beach Resort, which is at Lindbergh Bay, like the airport.

Departures at STT

Returning home from the island of St. Thomas takes patience and planning. You must clear customs before returning to the mainland US, which can significantly extend the time to get to your gate. On busy days, the line to customs can reach around the airline check-in area. I recommend arriving at the airport at least three hours before your flight’s departure, especially if you travel on a Saturday.

If you have checked in for your flight online, have a digital boarding pass and only carry-on luggage, you’ll save time at the airline check-in desk. However, you will still need to go through customs.

If you are checking in at the airline counters, you will get bag tags from the airline for your checked bags. The airline will not take the bags as you must carry them through customs. There are porters available at the airport who, for a fee, can help with the process and can go to the front of the customs line.

Getting through customs border protection and security at STT

Customs will ask questions about the content of your bags, including souvenirs, tobacco products, alcohol, and restricted items, such as fresh produce and meat.

You will also be asked for identification that allows US re-entry. I find a passport is more convenient, though not required for US citizens. If you don’t have a passport, you must show two forms of identification: a government-issued photo ID and a raised seal birth certificate. There is a dedicated Global Entry lane for CBP at the airport, but you must have your Global Entry card to use it.

After customs, you must drop off your luggage and go through security. There is a line for those with luggage to drop off for check-in, and another for those who travel only with carry-on luggage. There is also a dedicated TSA PreCheck line, which will make clearing security faster, though you will still need to drop off your luggage first if you have any to check in.

Departure lounges at St Thomas Island Cyril E King Airport

The main departure lounge at Saint Thomas Island airport serves flights to the US at gates 1-9. A separate lounge serves interisland flights at gates 10-11.

There are also no airline lounges available at STT, though there are plans to add these as part of the airport renovation program.

Food, drinks and shopping at STT

While the Saint Thomas Island airport has improved concessions in recent years, I find the choice is still limited. There are few bars, food outlets and shops. I recommend eating before heading off to the airport and doing your gift shopping while on the island.

Staying connected at STT

The airport offers free Wi-Fi access in exchange for completing a quick visitors survey. The Virgin Islands telecommunications service VIYA also offers some Wi-Fi hotspots at the airport. Look for the VIYA-FI_FREE_ACCESS network.