Pelotas International Airport
Encyclopedia
Pelotas International Airport is the airport serving Pelotas
, Brazil
.
It is operated by Infraero
.
, founded only a month earlier. The flight Porto Alegre/Pelotas/Rio Grande, operated by an amphibian Dornier Wal, used Pelotas River for landing and take-off operations. However, as early as 1930 a small terminal was built by a grass strip on the site where today is the airport.
In 1935 the airport with all the necessary amenities was officially inaugurated and continues in operation ever since.
In 1997 the whole airport complex was extensively renovated and a new terminal was opened in 1998. In 2001 it was upgraded to international status.
Pelotas is commonly used by the Brazilian Air Force
as the last stop in Brazil on their flights to the Brazilian Antarctic Base
.
Pelotas
Pelotas is a Brazilian city and municipality , the third most populous in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul. Pelotas is located 270 km from Porto Alegre, the capital city of the state, and 130 km from the Uruguayan border...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
.
It is operated by Infraero
Infraero
Empresa Brasileira de Infraestrutura Aeroportuária, Infraero in short, is a Brazilian government corporation created in 1972 and responsible for operating the main Brazilian commercial airports. In 2009, Infraero's airports carried 128,135,616 passengers and 1,114,754 tons of cargo and operated...
.
History
On June 22, 1927 the city of Pelotas received the first official commercial passenger flight operated by the first Brazilian airline, VarigVarig
VARIG was the first airline founded in Brazil, in 1927. From 1965 until 1990 it was Brazil's leading and almost only international airline...
, founded only a month earlier. The flight Porto Alegre/Pelotas/Rio Grande, operated by an amphibian Dornier Wal, used Pelotas River for landing and take-off operations. However, as early as 1930 a small terminal was built by a grass strip on the site where today is the airport.
In 1935 the airport with all the necessary amenities was officially inaugurated and continues in operation ever since.
In 1997 the whole airport complex was extensively renovated and a new terminal was opened in 1998. In 2001 it was upgraded to international status.
Pelotas is commonly used by the Brazilian Air Force
Brazilian Air Force
The Brazilian Air Force is the air branch of the Brazilian Armed Forces and one of the three national uniformed services. The FAB was formed when the Army and Navy air branch were merged into a single military force initially called "National Air Forces"...
as the last stop in Brazil on their flights to the Brazilian Antarctic Base
Comandante Ferraz Brazilian Antarctic Base
The Comandante Ferraz Brazilian Antarctic Base is a Brazilian research station located in Admiralty Bay, King George Island, near the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula....
.
Airlines and destinations
Accidents and incidents
- 11 January 1949: a SAVAGSAVAG – Sociedade Anônima Viação Aérea GaúchaSAVAG – Sociedade Anônima Viação Aérea Gaúcha was a Brazilian airline founded in 1946 that operated mainly in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. It was absorbed by Cruzeiro do Sul in 1966.-History:...
Lockheed Model 18-10-01 Lodestar registration PP-SAC flying from Pelotas to Porto AlegreSalgado Filho International AirportSalgado Filho International Airport is the airport serving Porto Alegre, Brazil. It is named after the Senator and first Minister of the Brazilian Air Force Joaquim Pedro Salgado Filho , killed on June 20, 1950 in an accident with an aircraft which departed from Porto Alegre.In 2010 the airport...
crashed just after take-off from Pelotas killing all 8 occupants. Causes are likely to have been fuel contamination. - 12 April 1960: a Cruzeiro do SulServiços Aéreos Cruzeiro do SulServiços Aéreos Cruzeiro do Sul, was the second oldest airline of Brazil, tracing its origins to 1927, when it was founded as Syndicato Condor, a subsidiary of Deutsche Luft Hansa. Syndicato Condor retained rights and interests of a former German trade company, Condor Syndikat, which previously...
Douglas C-53Douglas DC-3The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
registration PP-CDS flying from Pelotas collided with two other aircraft, crashed and caught fire after it deviated to the right on take-off and an over correction caused a sharp turn to the left. Of the 22 passengers and crew aboard, 10 died.