| Viru Viru International Airport |
| 250px |
| IATA: VVI – ICAO: SLVR
Location of airport in Bolivia
|
| Summary |
| Airport type |
Public |
| Operator |
Abertis |
| Location |
Santa Cruz de la Sierra |
| Elevation AMSL |
1,225 ft / 373 m |
| Coordinates |
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| Runways |
| Direction |
Length |
Surface |
| ft |
m |
| 16/34 |
11,483 |
3,500 |
Concrete |
|
| Statistics (2013) |
|
|
Source: SABSA, [1] Airport Statistics [2] |
Viru Viru International Airport (IATA: VVI, ICAO: SLVR) in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia is Bolivia's largest international airport. Viru Viru handles domestic, regional, and international flights from Bolivia, North America, South America and Europe and is the hub for Bolivia's biggest airline Boliviana de Aviación. The airport is able to handle aircraft up to the Boeing 747-400.
History
The airport was opened in 1983, to replace the obsolete El Trompillo Airport. Upon its inauguration, Viru Viru became a main gateway for international flights. Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano used Viru Viru as a hub before ceasing operations in 2008. On 1 March 1997 the government of Bolivia entered into a 25-year contract with Airport Group International to operate the three largest airports in Bolivia — El Alto International Airport in La Paz, Jorge Wilstermann International Airport in Cochabamba and Viru Viru International Airport. Servicios de Aeropuertos Bolivianos Sociedad Anonima (SABSA) was created to operate the concession. In 1999 Airport Group International was purchased by TBI plc. In 2004, Spain's Abertis/AENA purchased TBI.
Airlines and destinations
Passenger
| Airlines |
Destinations |
Terminal |
| Aerolíneas Argentinas |
Buenos Aires-Aeroparque,[3] Buenos Aires-Ezeiza |
International |
Aerolíneas Argentinas
operated by Austral Líneas Aéreas |
Buenos Aires-Aeroparque |
International |
| Air Europa |
Madrid |
International |
| Amaszonas |
Cochabamba, Guayaramerín, La Paz, Oruro, Sucre, Riberalta, Tarija |
Domestic |
| Amaszonas |
Asunción, Iquique,[4] Montevideo |
International |
| American Airlines |
Miami |
International |
| Avianca Ecuador |
Lima, Quito[5] |
International |
| Boliviana de Aviación |
Cobija, Cochabamba, La Paz, Sucre, Tarija, Trinidad |
Domestic |
| Boliviana de Aviación |
Buenos Aires-Ezeiza, Madrid, Miami, Salta, São Paulo-Guarulhos |
International |
| Copa Airlines |
Panama City |
International |
| EcoJet |
Cobija, Guayaramerín, Riberalta, Sucre, Tarija, Trinidad[6] |
Domestic |
| Gol Airlines |
São Paulo-Guarulhos |
International |
| LATAM Chile |
Iquique, Santiago de Chile |
International |
| LATAM Paraguay |
Asunción |
International |
| LATAM Perú |
Lima |
International |
| Wamos Air |
Charter: Madrid |
International |
| TAM - Transporte Aéreo Militar |
Cobija, Cochabamba, La Paz, Puerto Suárez, Sucre, Tarija, Trinidad |
Domestic |
Cargo
Incidents and accidents
- On 8 March 2006, an Argentine air force Learjet 35 flying from El Alto International Airport in La Paz to Viru Viru crashed after take off, killing all six people on board.
- 23 July 2010: an AeroSur Boeing 737 flying from Miami, Florida, USA, to Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, with 122 passengers and 6 crew members on board, lost cabin pressurization at 08:00 UTC over the Brazilian Amazonia and was forced to land at Rio Branco International Airport. No one was hurt.[7]
References
External links
