Viru Viru International Airport
Encyclopedia
Viru Viru International Airport is an aviation facility located in Santa Cruz de la Sierra
, Bolivia
.
The idea to build a new, modern airport in Santa Cruz was conceived in 1976, in view of the obsolence of the old airport known as El Trompillo
. Soon after, construction of the airport began. Upon its inauguration, Viru Viru became the most important airport in Bolivia and its main gateway of international flights, despite Santa Cruz being only the second largest metropolitan area in Bolivia. Because La Paz
is located at a high altitude, it can be difficult to reach by car from other Bolivian cities, and many travelers choose to fly from Viru Viru instead. Viru Viru is now the largest international airport in Bolivia.
Viru Viru is able to handle the largest commercial jets. Most arriving flights are either domestic flights, flights from neighboring South American countries, North American flights and some European flights. Viru Viru is also a hub for Bolivia's biggest airlines AeroSur, and Boliviana de Aviacion
. Lloyd Aereo Boliviano
used Viru Viru as a hub before ceasing operations in 2009.
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
and, in 2004, Spain's Abertis
/AENA purchased TBI. The biggest aircraft that can land in the runway is the Boeing 747-400
from AeroSur.
Santa Cruz de la Sierra
Santa Cruz de la Sierra, commonly known as Santa Cruz, is the capital of the Santa Cruz department in eastern Bolivia and the largest city in the country...
, Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
.
The idea to build a new, modern airport in Santa Cruz was conceived in 1976, in view of the obsolence of the old airport known as El Trompillo
El Trompillo Airport
El Trompillo Airport is located in the south part of Santa Cruz, Bolivia, about 2km away from the central plaza.-Creation:It was created in 1920 with a lane that measured no more than 800 meters . The airport was given the name of “Captain Horacio Vasquez” honoring a pilot who died in an accident...
. Soon after, construction of the airport began. Upon its inauguration, Viru Viru became the most important airport in Bolivia and its main gateway of international flights, despite Santa Cruz being only the second largest metropolitan area in Bolivia. Because La Paz
La Paz
Nuestra Señora de La Paz is the administrative capital of Bolivia, as well as the departmental capital of the La Paz Department, and the second largest city in the country after Santa Cruz de la Sierra...
is located at a high altitude, it can be difficult to reach by car from other Bolivian cities, and many travelers choose to fly from Viru Viru instead. Viru Viru is now the largest international airport in Bolivia.
Viru Viru is able to handle the largest commercial jets. Most arriving flights are either domestic flights, flights from neighboring South American countries, North American flights and some European flights. Viru Viru is also a hub for Bolivia's biggest airlines AeroSur, and Boliviana de Aviacion
Boliviana de Aviación
Boliviana de Aviación or simply called BoA is the state-owned national flag carrier airline of Bolivia along with private airline AeroSur. It was established by the Bolivian Government under the president Evo Morales, replacing the troubled Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano as flag carrier.The airline is...
. Lloyd Aereo Boliviano
Lloyd Aereo Boliviano
Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano S.A. was an airline serving as flag carrier of Bolivia. It operated domestic and international flights, aiming at passenger as well as cargo transport. LAB was active for more than 80 years, having been based in Cochabamba most of the time, with Cochabamba Airport being an...
used Viru Viru as a hub before ceasing operations in 2009.
Operators
On March 1, 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 AirportEl Alto International Airport
El Alto International Airport is an international airport located south west of La Paz, La Paz Department, Bolivia.The airport is located in the city of El Alto and has served since the first half of the 20th century, but was modernized in the late 1960s, when its runway was lengthened and a new...
in La Paz, Jorge Wilstermann International Airport
Jorge Wilstermann International Airport
Jorge Wilstermann International Airport, known in Spanish as Aeropuerto Internacional Jorge Wilstermann is an airport serving Cochabamba, a city in the Cochabamba department of Bolivia...
in Cochabamba
Cochabamba
Cochabamba is a city in central Bolivia, located in a valley bearing the same name in the Andes mountain range. It is the capital of the Cochabamba Department and is the fourth largest city in Bolivia with an urban population of 608,276 and a metropolitan population of more than 1,000,000 people...
and Viru Viru International Airport. Servicios de Aeropuertos Bolivianos Sociedad Anonima (SABSA
SABSA
SABSA is a framework and methodology for Enterprise Security Architecture and Service Management...
) was created to operate the concession. In 1999 Airport Group International was purchased by TBI plc
TBI plc
TBI Limited is an airport owner and operator, incorporated in the United Kingdom in 1972.-History:The company changed name to TBI plc in March, 1994 and to TBI Limited in 2009.TBI bought Cardiff Airport in 1995....
and, in 2004, Spain's Abertis
Abertis
Abertis Infraestructuras, S.A. is a Spanish corporation. The company runs 6,713 kilometres of motorways in Europe and operates more than a dozen airports in cities including London, Stockholm and Orlando...
/AENA purchased TBI. The biggest aircraft that can land in the runway is the Boeing 747-400
Boeing 747-400
The Boeing 747-400 is a major development and the best-selling model of the Boeing 747 family of jet airliners. While retaining the four-engine wide-body layout of its predecessors, the 747-400 embodies numerous technological and structural changes to produce a more efficient airframe...
from AeroSur.
Airlines and destinations
Cargo Operations
Incidents
- On March 8, 2006, an ArgentineArgentinaArgentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
airforce Learjet 35 flying from El Alto International AirportEl Alto International AirportEl Alto International Airport is an international airport located south west of La Paz, La Paz Department, Bolivia.The airport is located in the city of El Alto and has served since the first half of the 20th century, but was modernized in the late 1960s, when its runway was lengthened and a new...
in La Paz to Viru Viru crashed after take off, killing all six people onboard. - 23 July 2010: an AeroSur Boeing 737 flying from Miami, FL, 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 therefore was forced to land at Rio Branco International AirportRio Branco International AirportRio Branco-Plácido de Castro International Airport is the airport serving Rio Branco, Brazil. Since April 13, 2009 the airport is named after José Plácido de Castro a politician leader of the Acrean Revolution.It is operated by Infraero....
. No one was hurt.
Ceased Operations
External links
- Weather in Santa Cruz - Viru Viru Airport
- Santa Cruz Travel Guide
- Homepage of the Viru Viru International Airport (Aeropuerto Internacional Viru Viru): http://www.sabsa.aero/aeropuerto-viru-viru/default.aspx (Sabsa = Servicios de Aeropuertos Bolivianos S.A. is the operator of three airports in Bolivia).