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Revision as of 00:34, 10 July 2008

Augusto C. Sandino International Airport

Aeropuerto Internacional Augusto C. Sandino
Summary
Airport typePublic and Military
OwnerRepublica de Nicaragua
OperatorEAAI
ServesManagua
LocationManagua
Elevation AMSL194 ft / 59 m
Coordinates12°08′29.38″N 086°10′05.44″W / 12.1414944°N 86.1681778°W / 12.1414944; -86.1681778
Websitehttp://www.eaai.com.ni
Map
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
09/27 8,015 2,442 Asphalt

Augusto C. Sandino International Airport (Spanish: Aeropuerto Internacional Augusto C. Sandino) (IATA: MGA, ICAO: MNMG) is the main airport in Managua, Nicaragua. Inaugurated as Las Mercedes Airport in 1968 it was later renamed Augusto C. Sandino International Airport during the Sandinista regime in 1980s and again in 2001 to Managua International Airport by Arnoldo Alemán. Its name was changed once more in February 2007 to its current name by President Daniel Ortega in honor of Nicaragua's national hero, Augusto César Sandino.[1]

The runway at the airport is 8,015 feet long, and has an elevation of 194 feet.

History

On January 22, 1942, the Government of Nicaragua and Pan American Airways signed a contract to construct an airport under the name of Las Mercedes Airport.[2] After the construction was finished the airport was inaugurated on July 4, 1968 by Anastasio Somoza Debayle.[3] Las Mercedes was designed to be able to be used by Boeing 707 aircraft.

In the early 1970s, Las Mercedes was expanded to more modern standards, with four health inspectors, eight immigration officers and ten customs inspectors.[4] It was fully equipped with air conditioning, background music, loudspeakers and conveyor belts for baggage handling.[5] It also had a restaurant on its upper floor where visitors and travelers could see airport movement.

This expanded airport could serve three aircraft at once, and by 1975, Pan Am and Iberia, Lanica Airlines, the Airline of Nicaragua as well as other, smaller local carriers, flew into Las Mercedes. When the Sandinistas took power, the airport was named after Augusto César Sandino, a Sandinista guerrilla leader. The Sandinistas however did not maintain the airport, and it began to deteriorate, until it was expanded and remodeled in 1996, when, among other things, two new boarding bridges were installed.[4] The airport was renamed "Managua International Airport" in 2001 and renamed again in 2007 to its current name by President Daniel Ortega.

Sculptures in the center of the waiting lobby.

The airport has served for a very long time as a hub for Nicaragua's flag carrier, Nica. When Nica became a member of Grupo TACA during the 1990s, the number of important connections to the rest of Latin America from the Augusto C. Sandino International Airport grew considerably. The Augusto C. Sandino International Airport, managed by EAAI, is considered one of the best and most modern airports in Central America. This airport, located just 11 km from the city of Managua has a runway which measures 8012 ft (about 2444 m) in length and is at an elevation of 194 ft (about 59 m).[6]

Embraer 190s,Airbus A300,A310, A330, Boeing 737s, Boeing 757s, Boeing 767s, Lockheed L-1011 Tristars and DC-10's can land at the airport. A large expansion programme was underway by 2003 and as of July 2006 the final phase was completed with 5 gates equipped with jetways. Currently the runway is also undergoing an addition of 800 m.[7]

Safety is taken very seriously at Managua airport and many security measures have been put in place. Plus-minus 360 individuals are employed at the airport, all contributing towards a clean, friendly, helpful and safe airport environment. Facilities within Augusto C. Sandino International Airport include a tourist information desk, bank, restaurants, bars, post office, souvenir shops, duty free shops, lounges and more. To make use of the VIP lounge there are five rate options: Normal, Corporate, Affiliated Credit Cards, Minors and Infants. Prices and services vary according to the option you select. The types of services you can enjoy in the VIP lounge include checking baggage and documents with customs and immigration plus the airline; a bar service; snacks etc.[8] Departure tax from the International Airport is included in the cost of the ticket and amounts to US$ 35.00. Those passengers who are only stopping over at the airport for less than 8 hours or are under the age of 2 years are exempt from this charge.[9] Passengers who arrive at Nicaragua's International Airport have to pay tax to the INTUR (Nicaraguan Tourism Institute) to the amount of US$ 5.00. Citizens from the CA-4 countries do not have to pay this. The CA-4 countries are Nicaragua, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador). Tax costs are subject to changes.

As of today, a number of major international airlines serve the airport, including American Airlines, Copa Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta Airlines, Air Transat, Aeromexico, Spirit Airlines, Aero Caribbean, Atlantic Airlines and TACA.[6]

International Airlines

Cargo Airlines

Domestic Airlines

  • Atlantic Airlines (Bluefields, Puerto Cabezas, Corn Island)
  • TACA Regional La Costeña (Corn Island, Siuna, Puerto Cabezas, Bluefields, Bonanza, Rosita, Waspán, San Carlos)

Incidents and accidents

  • On June 5, 2006 a McDonnell Douglas DC10-10F (registered N68047) en route Miami - Managua touched down hard at Managua and was unable to stop before the end of the runway. The aircraft overran by about 300 meters, the nose gear collapsed causing substantial damage to the engines as well as a possible fuel rupture in the wing.[10]
  • On July 24, 2007 a Boeing 737 700, Continental flight (C0876), with 120 passengers and a crew of 6 flying from Panama City to Houston had to land in the Augusto C. Sandino International Airport because one of the internal security windows suffered a rupture.[11]

References

  1. ^ Velásquez SevillaMi, Mirna. "Aeropuerto vuelve a ser Sandino". La Prensa (in Spanish). Retrieved 2007-10-17. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  2. ^ "Aeropuerto Internacional "Augusto C. Sandino"" (PDF) (in Spanish). EAAI. p. 2. Retrieved 2008-02-14. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  3. ^ Westcott, Kathryn. "Flying from where?; Cultural Heritage". BBC News. Retrieved 2007-10-17. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  4. ^ a b "History". EAAI. Retrieved 2007-10-17. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  5. ^ "Managua International Airport". Airplanes.com. Retrieved 2007-10-17. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  6. ^ a b "Technical Information". EAAI. Retrieved 2007-10-17. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  7. ^ "Projects in Progress". EAAI. Retrieved 2007-10-17. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  8. ^ "VIP Lounge". EAAI. Retrieved 2007-10-17. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  9. ^ "Airport Departure Tax". EAAI. Retrieved 2007-10-17. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  10. ^ Romero, Elízabeth. "Alarma en el aeropuerto". La Prensa (in Spanish). Retrieved 2007-08-16. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  11. ^ Flores Valle, Alejandro. "Avión aterriza de emergencia". La Prensa (in Spanish). Retrieved 2007-10-26. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
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