Panamá Pacífico International Airport

Panamá Pacífico International Airport
Summary
Airport type Public
Serves Panama Pacifico
Location Balboa, Panama
Elevation AMSL 16 m / 52 ft
Coordinates 08°54′54″N 079°35′58″W / 8.91500°N 79.59944°W / 8.91500; -79.59944Coordinates: 08°54′54″N 079°35′58″W / 8.91500°N 79.59944°W / 8.91500; -79.59944
Map
BLB
Location in Panama
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
18/36 2,591 8,501 Asphalt
Source: DAFIF[2]

Panamá Pacífico International Airport (IATA: BLB, ICAO: MPPA) is a commercial airport in Panama. It is located on the site of the former Howard Air Force Base, a United States Air Force base which had been within the Panama Canal Zone.[3] Commercial airline service started in 2014, with VivaColombia being the first to begin operations.[4]

Overview

The airport is located 6 miles southwest of Balboa, at the southern (Pacific) end of the Panama Canal. Most of the area around it is uninhabited and forms part of the Panama Canal Zone watershed, although Panama City can be reached by crossing the nearby Bridge of the Americas.

The airport receives larger jet aircraft like the Airbus A320 from VivaColombia Airlines and Boeing 737 from Wingo Airlines.

History

The government of Panama benefited from the closure of Howard Air Force Base. Much of the former military base is used to house call centers for technology companies, most notably Dell Computer.

In February 2008, the production for the James Bond movie Quantum of Solace used the base to double for an airport in Bolivia.

The former Howard Air Force Base is now called Panama Pacifico. The Panamanian National Air Show takes place at the airport every year, usually on the last Sunday of January.

Airlines and Destinations

AirlinesDestinations
Wingo Bogotá, Cali, Cartagena, Medellín–Córdova

References

  1. ↑
  2. ↑ Airport information for MPHO at World Aero Data. Data current as of October 2006.Source: DAFIF.
  3. ↑ Hilarski, Randy (April 9, 2013). "Howard Air Force Base has Been Transformed into Panama Pacifico". Panama Simple. Archived from the original on April 15, 2015. Retrieved 2015-04-08.
  4. ↑ "VivaColombia confirms Panama and Peru services and new base at Bogota in 2014". CAPA Center for Aviation. 2013-12-20. Retrieved 2015-04-08. Bogota-Panama City service
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