Clayton J. Lloyd International Airport (AXA)
Anguilla's tiny island gateway where the Caribbean breeze hits you before baggage claim.
Why Go
Small enough that you'll spot your driver waving through the arrivals door, but the runway is long enough to bring you within a 15-minute taxi of Shoal Bay's blindingly white sand. AXA is less an airport and more a threshold ΓÇö one minute you're clearing a low-key customs line, the next you're rolling past goats and salt ponds toward your villa.
The Experience
Named for Captain Clayton J. Lloyd, one of Anguilla's aviation pioneers, AXA sits just outside The Valley and handles a modest handful of regional flights each day — mostly hops from San Juan, Antigua, and St. Maarten via carriers like Silver Airways, interCaribbean, Tradewind, and Cape Air. The terminal is a single-story building with a couple of check-in counters, one small café, a duty-free shop stocked with local rum, and a covered outdoor waiting area where taxi drivers gather in the shade. Arrivals are refreshingly quick: walk off the tarmac, breeze through immigration, grab your bag, and you're outside within twenty minutes. Departures are just as unhurried, though the shoebox-sized departure lounge means you'll want to time your arrival for around 75 minutes before your flight rather than the usual three hours.
What to Try
Grab a cold Carib or a rum punch at the tiny bar before boarding ΓÇö it's a nicer send-off than any duty-free purchase. If you have time, pick up a bottle of Pyrat rum or locally made hot sauce from the small shop landside. Ask your taxi driver (rates are fixed and posted at the taxi stand) for a scenic route via Sandy Ground on the way to your hotel ΓÇö it adds five minutes and gives you your first glimpse of turquoise water.
Insider Tip
Most visitors actually fly into SXM (Princess Juliana in St. Maarten) and take the 25-minute public ferry from Blowing Point or a private charter ΓÇö it's often cheaper and more frequent than connecting through San Juan into AXA. But if you can snag a direct flight into AXA, do it: you skip the two-country customs shuffle and the sometimes-choppy ferry crossing, and you're on a beach chair an hour after touchdown. Taxis do not use meters ΓÇö confirm the flat rate (posted on a board at the stand) before you get in, and note that fares are per trip up to two passengers, with small surcharges for extra people and luggage.
The Practical Stuff
IATA code AXA. Located in The Valley, roughly central on the island — 10 minutes to Sandy Ground, 15 to Shoal Bay East, 20 to Meads Bay. No public bus service; taxis and pre-arranged hotel transfers are the only options at arrivals, and rental car counters (Andy's, Bryans, Junior's) are on-site or a short shuttle away. Cash (USD or EC) is handy for the taxi tip and the café. There's free basic Wi-Fi in the terminal, one small duty-free shop, and limited food options — eat before you fly. Departure tax is included in most tickets. No jet bridges: expect a short walk across the tarmac in whatever weather Anguilla is serving that day.
Pair It With
- Sandy Ground — The closest beach village to the airport ΓÇö perfect for a first sunset, casual seafood at Elvis' Beach Bar, and a barefoot introduction to Anguilla's pace, all under 15 minutes from AXA.
- Blowing Point Ferry Terminal — If you're mixing an AXA arrival with a St. Maarten departure (or vice versa), this is the ferry hub you'll use ΓÇö knowing both entry points makes island logistics much easier.
- The Valley — Anguilla's small capital surrounds the airport, so it's an easy first or last stop for an ATM run, groceries at the Fat Cat, or a quick lunch before your flight.