Juan Gualberto Gómez Airport

Juan Gualberto Gómez Airport
Aeropuerto Juan Gualberto Gómez
Summary
Airport type Public
Operator ECASA S.A.
Serves Varadero and Matanzas
Location 5 km from Carbonera
Elevation AMSL 64 m / 210 ft
Coordinates 23°02′04″N 81°26′07″W / 23.03444°N 81.43528°W / 23.03444; -81.43528Coordinates: 23°02′04″N 81°26′07″W / 23.03444°N 81.43528°W / 23.03444; -81.43528
Website varadero-airport.com
Map
MUVR
Location in Cuba
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
06/24 3,502 11,490 Asphalt
Statistics (2009)
Number of Passengers 1,275,000
Source: Aerodrome chart[1]

Juan Gualberto Gómez Airport (IATA: VRA, ICAO: MUVR), formerly known as Varadero Airport (Spanish: Aeropuerto de Varadero), is an international airport serving Varadero, Cuba and the province of Matanzas. The airport is located 5 km from the village of Carbonera, closer to the city of Matanzas than to Varadero. The closest airport to Varadero is Kawama Airport. In 2009, the airport handled 1.28 million passengers,[2] making it the second busiest airport in Cuba after José Martí International Airport in Havana.

Overview

Juan Gualberto Gomez Airport was built in 1989 and inaugurated by Fidel Castro,[3] thus replacing the old Varadero airport located in Santa Marta, currently known as Kawama Airport. The airport was named after a journalist, fighter for the Cuban Independence and black rights activist in Cuba Juan Gualberto Gómez (1854–1933).

Bust of Juan Gualberto Gómez at the Juan Gualberto Gómez Airport commemorating the inauguration of the airport in 1989.

The terminal building has shops for tourists (including rum, cigars, T-shirts, books, carvings, pharmaceuticals) both before customs check point, at a large departures lounge with cafeterias on the upper level and a smaller air conditioned VIP lounge the lower level.

Immigration checkpoint consists of wooden booths for push doors opened by immigration officers after travelers have been processed. Customs check point consists of three x-ray machines. Two flights of stairs and an escalator take travelers to the departure lounge. Tour operators offices are located near the domestic terminal area.

The ground handling equipment is imported mainly from North America. There are four jet bridges (serving parking areas 2 to 5), but air stairs are used for the remaining aircraft parking space #1 on the apron by the terminal.

Airlines and destinations

A taxiing Eurowings Airbus A330-200 operated by SunExpress Deutschland

Passenger

AirlinesDestinations
Air Canada Rouge Montréal–Trudeau, Toronto–Pearson
Air Transat Montréal–Trudeau, Toronto–Pearson
Seasonal: Halifax, Hamilton, Moncton, Ottawa, Québec City, Winnipeg
American Airlines Miami
Azur Air Charter: Moscow-Domodedovo
Blue Panorama Airlines Milan-Malpensa
Condor Seasonal: Frankfurt (resumes November 6, 2018),[4] Munich
Corsair International Paris-Orly
Cubana de Aviación Montréal–Trudeau, Toronto–Pearson
Edelweiss Air Zürich
Eurowings Cologne/Bonn (ends October 27, 2018)[5]
Seasonal: Düsseldorf, Munich[6]
Interjet Mexico City
LOT Polish Airlines Charter: Warsaw–Chopin
Magnicharters Seasonal: Monterrey
Neos Seasonal charter: Milan–Malpensa
Nordwind Airlines Seasonal charter: Moscow–Sheremetyevo
Orbest Seasonal: Lisbon
Servicios Aéreos Profesionales Punta Cana
Sunwing Airlines Calgary, Edmonton, Montréal–Trudeau, Ottawa, Toronto–Pearson, Vancouver
Seasonal: Bagotville, Charlottetown, Deer Lake, Fredericton, Gander, Halifax, Hamilton, Kelowna, London (ON), Moncton, Québec City, Regina, St. John's, Saskatoon, Thunder Bay, Windsor, Winnipeg
Thomas Cook Airlines Manchester
Thomas Cook Airlines Scandinavia Seasonal charter: Copenhagen
TUI Airways London–Gatwick
TUI fly Belgium Brussels
TUI fly Netherlands Amsterdam
Wamos Air Madrid, Guatemala City
WestJet Toronto–Pearson
Seasonal: Calgary

Cargo

AirlinesDestinations
Fedex Express Miami

Accidents and incidents

There have been five significant incidents involving aircraft from or en route to the airport since the 1950s. Only 1 flight involved resulted in fatalities. Three flights involved Cubans hijacking an aircraft to flee to the United States.

  • March 6, 2005 - Air Transat Flight 961 Airbus A310 returned safely to airport following detachment of rudder after take off.
  • December 29, 1992 - Aerocaribbean Antonov 26 was hijacked en route to Varadero Airport from Havana. The aircraft landed in Miami.[7]

Accidents and incidents that occurred at Varadero (Santa Marta) Airport (now as Kawama Airport):

  • July 3, 1961 - Cubana de Aviación Douglas DC-3 was hijacked en route to Varadero Airport from Havana. Aircraft lands in Miami.[8]
  • April 25, 1959 - Cubana de Aviación Vickers Viscount was hijacked after takeoff from the Varadero Airport and forced to land at Key West International Airport.[9]
  • November 1, 1958 - Cubana de Aviación Flight 495 Vickers Viscount 755D crashes in Nipe Bay when attempting an emergency landing at Preston Airport. Plane was en route to Varadero from Miami with 20 on board. Only 3 survived with 17 fatalities.[10]

References

  1. ↑ Aerodrome chart Archived 2011-06-26 at the Wayback Machine. issued 10 May 2007
  2. ↑ "www.radioangulo.cu - Servicios Archivo Aeropuerto de Varadero entre los mejores del país (Spanish only)".
  3. ↑ "DISCURSO PRONUNCIADO POR FIDEL CASTRO RUZ, PRESIDENTE DE LA REPÚBLICA CUBA, EN LA INAUGURACION DEL AEROPUERTO INTERNACIONAL DE VARADERO "JUAN GUALBERTO GOMEZ", EL 25 DE SEPTIEMBRE DE 1989, "AÑO 31 DE LA REVOLUCION"". www.cuba.cu.
  4. ↑ "Condor W18 Long-Haul service by airtransat A330 as of 01DEC17". Airline Route. December 2017. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
  5. ↑ 2018. "Eurowings verlegt Langstrecke von Köln nach Düsseldorf". rp-online.de. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
  6. ↑ 2017, UBM (UK) Ltd. "Eurowings outlines new S18 long-haul routes".
  7. ↑ Ranter, Harro. "ASN Aircraft accident Antonov 26 CU-T110 Miami International Airport, FL (MIA)". aviation-safety.net.
  8. ↑ Ranter, Harro. "ASN Aircraft accident Douglas DC-3 registration unknown Miami, FL". aviation-safety.net.
  9. ↑ Ranter, Harro. "ASN Aircraft accident Vickers Viscount registration unknown Key West International Airport, FL (EYW)". aviation-safety.net.
  10. ↑ Ranter, Harro. "ASN Aircraft accident Vickers 755D Viscount CU-T603 Preston Airport (PST)". aviation-safety.net.
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