Seymour Airport: Difference between revisions

Seymour Galapagos Ecological Airport
Seymour Galapagos Ecological Airport
	IATA: GPS; ICAO: SEGS;
Summary
Airport type	Public / Military
Serves	Baltra, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
Elevation AMSL	207 ft / 63 m
Coordinates	00°27′14″S 90°15′57″W / 0.45389°S 90.26583°W
Website	www.ecogal.aero
Map
	GPS Location of airport in the Galápagos Islands
Runways
	Source: WAD GCM Google Maps

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Revision as of 18:48, 7 February 2023

File:Seymour Airport in Baltra Island (New). JPG

Inside of new building of Seymour Airport, Baltra Is., Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

Seymour Galapagos Ecological Airport (Spanish: Aeropuerto Ecológico Galápagos Seymour) (IATA: GPS, ICAO: SEGS) is an airport serving the island of Baltra, one of the Galápagos Islands in Ecuador.

Facilities

The airport became the world's first "green" airport in December 2012.

The new terminal, which consists of recycled steel tubes taken from oil drilling operations in the Amazon, is spread over 6,000 square meters and required an investment of just over $24 million. The new complex will use clean, renewable technologies such as solar energy, wind farms, and seawater desalination, among other environmental innovations.

According to ECOGAL, the company that operates the terminal, and the construction of the new airport took into account the surrounding environment and sought to make a minimal impact on the ecosystem. The project was announced in 2008, with construction commencing in 2012. The purpose of the redevelopment from the outset was to create the world's first ecological airport. ECOGAL was awarded a 15-year concession to administer and operate the airport.

The Galapagos non-directional beacon (Ident: GLS) is located 1.0 nautical mile (1.9 km) off the approach threshold of Runway 14. The Galapagos VOR-DME (Ident: GLV) is located on the field.^[4]^[5]

History

During World War II, the airport (known as Seymour Island Airfield) was used by the United States Army Air Forces Sixth Air Force defending the South American coastline and the Panama Canal against Japanese submarines. The first American personnel arrived on 9 April 1942. Military flying units assigned to the airport were:

52d Fighter Squadron (32d Fighter Group), 5 June-1 December 1942 (P-40 Warhawk)
51st Fighter Squadron (32d Fighter Group, later XXVI Fighter Command) 9 December 1942 – 4 March 1944 (P-40 Warhawk)

Detachments stationed at Salinas Afld, Ecuador, and Talara Afld, Peru, December 1942-March 1943

3d Bombardment Squadron (6th Bombardment Group) 4 May 1942 – 12 March 1943 (LB-30 (B-24A) Liberator)
29th Bombardment Squadron (6th Bombardment Group) 13 May 1943 – 10 April 1944; 26 April–October 1945 (B-24 Liberator)
45th Bombardment Squadron (40th Bombardment Group) 18 February-22 May 1943 (LB-30 (B-24A) Liberator)
74th Bombardment Squadron (VI Bomber Command) 21 August 1944 – 13 February 1945 (B-24 Liberator)
397th Bombardment Squadron (VI Bomber Command) 7 April 1944 – 6 February 1945 (B-24 Liberator)

By 30 September 1945, most personnel were withdrawn and only a housekeeping staff remained. The military facility was deactivated on 30 April 1946, leaving a communications unit which deactivated on 29 February 1948. Today many of the former USAAF aircraft parking hardstands still exist, along with an unused NW/SE runway that was abandoned after the war but remains in reasonable condition.

Airlines and destinations

Airlines	Destinations
Avianca Ecuador	Guayaquil, Quito
Equair	Guayaquil, Quito
LATAM Ecuador	Guayaquil

Statistics

**Busiest domestic routes from Seymour Airport (2018)**^[6]
Rank	City	Passengers	Top carriers
1	Quito, Pichincha	291,765	Avianca Ecuador, LATAM Ecuador, Aeroregional
2	Guayaquil, Guayas	229,034	Avianca Ecuador, LATAM Ecuador, Aeroregional

References

^ World Aero Data for SEGS
^ Airport information for Seymour Airport at Great Circle Mapper.
^ Google Maps - Seymour Airport
^ Galapagos VOR
^ Galapagos NDB
^ "https://www.ecuadorencifras.gob.ec/transporte/"

This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

External links

[WAD-1] World Aero Data for SEGS

[GCM-2] Airport information for Seymour Airport at Great Circle Mapper.

[3] Google Maps - Seymour Airport

[4] Galapagos VOR

[5] Galapagos NDB

[6] "https://www.ecuadorencifras.gob.ec/transporte/"

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@@ Line 41: / Line 41: @@
 == History ==
-During [[World War II]], the airport (known as '''Seymour Island Airfield''') was used by the [[United States Army Air Forces]] [[Sixth Air Force]] defending the [[South America]]n coastline and the [[Panama Canal]] against Japanese submarines. The first American personnel arrived on 9 April 1942.  Military flying units assigned to the airport were:
+During [[World War II]], the airport (known as ''' Seymour Island Airfield''') was used by the [[United States Army Air Forces]] [[Sixth Air Force]] defending the [[South America]]n coastline and the [[Panama Canal]] against Japanese submarines. The first American personnel arrived on 9 April 1942.  Military flying units assigned to the airport were:
 * [[52nd Fighter-Interceptor Squadron|52d Fighter Squadron]] ([[32d Air Operations Group|32d Fighter Group]]), 5 June-1 December 1942 (P-40 Warhawk)
 * [[51st Fighter Squadron]] ([[32d Air Operations Group|32d Fighter Group]], later [[XXVI Fighter Command]]) 9 December 1942 – 4 March 1944 (P-40 Warhawk)
-: Detachments stationed at: [[General Ulpiano Paez Airport|Salinas Afld]], [[Ecuador]] and [[Cap. FAP Víctor Montes Arias Airport|Talara Afld]], [[Peru]], December 1942-March 1943
+: Detachments stationed at [[General Ulpiano Paez Airport|Salinas Afld]], [[Ecuador]], and [[Cap. FAP Víctor Montes Arias Airport|Talara Afld]], [[Peru]], December 1942-March 1943
 * [[3d Bombardment Squadron]] ([[6th Bombardment Group]]) 4 May 1942 – 12 March 1943 (LB-30 (B-24A) Liberator)
 * [[970th Airborne Air Control Squadron|29th Bombardment Squadron]] ([[6th Bombardment Group]]) 13 May 1943 – 10 April 1944; 26 April–October 1945 (B-24 Liberator)
@@ Line 52: / Line 52: @@
 * [[397th Bombardment Squadron]] ([[VI Bomber Command]]) 7 April 1944 – 6 February 1945 (B-24 Liberator)
-By 30 September 1945, most personnel were withdrawn and only a housekeeping staff remained.  The military facility was deactivated on 30 April 1946, leaving a communications unit which deactivated on 29 February 1948.   Today many of the former USAAF aircraft parking hardstands still exist, along with an unused NW/SE runway that was abandoned after the war, but remains in reasonable condition.
+By 30 September 1945, most personnel were withdrawn and only a housekeeping staff remained.  The military facility was deactivated on 30 April 1946, leaving a communications unit which deactivated on 29 February 1948.   Today many of the former USAAF aircraft parking hardstands still exist, along with an unused NW/SE runway that was abandoned after the war but remains in reasonable condition.
 ==Airlines and destinations==