Augusto C. Sandino International Airport

Augusto C. Sandino International Airport (Spanish: Aeropuerto Internacional Augusto C. Sandino) (IATA: MGA, ICAO: MNMG) or ACS is the main joint civil-military public international airport in Managua, Nicaragua named after Nicaraguan revolutionary Augusto Nicolás Sandino and located in the City's 6th ward, known locally as Distrito 6. Originally christened as Las Mercedes Airport in 1968, it was later renamed Augusto C. Sandino International Airport during the Sandinista government in the 1980s and again in 2001 to Managua International Airport by then-president Arnoldo Alemán. Its name was changed once more in February 2007 to its current name by President Daniel Ortega to honor the revolutionary.[3] Managua also has an alternative landing strip at Punta Huete Airport. Punta Huete was designed for larger aircraft. This alternative landing site, however, does not service commercial aircraft. The airport is managed by the state-run Administrative Company of International Airports, more commonly known as the EAAI given its Spanish name, the Empresa Administradora de Aeropuertos Internacionales.

Augusto C. Sandino
International Airport

Aeropuerto Internacional
Augusto C. Sandino
Summary
Airport typeMilitary/Public
OwnerRepublica de Nicaragua
OperatorEAAI (Empresa Administradora de Aeropuertos Internacionales)
ServesManagua
LocationManagua, Nicaragua
Elevation AMSL59 m / 194 ft
Coordinates12°08′29″N 086°10′05″W
Websitewww.eaai.com.ni
managuaairportnicaragua.com
Map
MGA
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
10/28 2,442 8,012 Asphalt
Statistics (2017)
Passengers1,627,527
Passenger change 16–176.2%
Aircraft movements36,510
Movements change 16–170.8%
Source: Nicaraguan AIP,[1] MTI[2]

The runway at the airport is 8,012 ft long, and it is located at an elevation of 194 feet. With 1.4 million passengers in 2013, ACS is currently the fifth busiest airport by passenger traffic in Central America. Augusto C. Sandino International Airport has direct scheduled service to destinations in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central America and South America.

History

Before ACS, there was the old Xolotlan Airport, about 2 miles east of Managua, built in 1915 which very soon became too small for Managua's airline service growth. Thus, on January 22, 1942, the Nicaraguan Government and Pan American Airways signed a contract to construct an airport by Las Mercedes Country Estate which inspired the name for Las Mercedes Airport.[4] Las Mercedes was further upgraded, re-designed to handle Boeing 707 aircraft, and re-inaugurated on July 4, 1968, by Anastasio Somoza Debayle.[5]

In the early 1970s, Las Mercedes was expanded to more modern standards, such as four health inspectors, eight immigration officers and ten customs inspectors.[6] It was considered fully equipped, having air conditioning, background music, loudspeakers and conveyor belts for baggage handling.[7] It also had a restaurant on its upper floor where visitors and travelers could see airport movement.

The expanded airport could serve three aircraft at once and by 1975 LANICA, the National Airline of Nicaragua, as well as many well known carriers Pan Am, KLM (Royal Dutch Airlines), Taca Airlines, Sahsa, Avianca, Iberia, SAM, TAN, Varig, and smaller local carriers, flew into Las Mercedes. When the Sandinistas took power, the airport was named after Augusto César Sandino, a Nicaraguan revolutionary and guerrilla leader, after whom the Sandinista movement is named. The Sandinistas however did not maintain the airport, and it began to deteriorate until it was expanded and remodeled in 1996, when, among other things, two new boarding bridges were installed.[6] The airport was renamed "Managua International Airport" in 2001 by then President Arnoldo Alemán and renamed again in 2007 to its current name by President Daniel Ortega In mid 2007, President Daniel Ortega renamed the airport in honor of Sandino. Nicaraguan artist Róger Pérez de la Rocha has created two large portraits of Augusto César Sandino, and Rubén Darío which they lay at the airports lobby.[8]

Las Mercedes served for a very long time as a hub for Nicaragua's flag carriers Lanica (until 1978), Aeronica from 1979 to the 80's and NICA afterwards. When NICA became a member of Grupo TACA during the 1990s, the number of important connections to the rest of Latin America from which ACS grew considerably.

According to EAAI (Empresa Administradora de Aeropuertos Internacionales) ACS is the most modern airport in Central America and the 4th safest in the world. It is located just 11 km (7 mi) from Managua's downtown, has a runway which measures 8,015 ft (2,443 m) in length and is at an elevation of 194 ft (59 m).[9]

Embraer 190s, Airbus A300, Airbus A310, Airbus A320, Airbus A330, Airbus 340 Boeing 737s, Boeing 747s, Boeing 757s, Boeing 767s, Lockheed L-1011 TriStars and McDonnell Douglas DC-10s can land at the airport.

Expansion

A large expansion programme was underway by 2003 and as of July 2006 the final phase was completed with 7 gates equipped with jetways, and room for 20 airplanes to park. It had been reported in the recent past that the runway would be lengthened by 800 m (2,625 ft), but to date this projected has not begun, despite the government's great achievements in building new airports elsewhere in Nicaragua, or greatly overhauling existing airport/airfield infrastructure in other locations as well.[10]

About 360 individuals are employed at the airport. Facilities within the airport include a tourist information desk, bank, restaurants, bars, post office, souvenir shops, duty-free shops, lounges and more. To make use of the VIP lounge there are five rate options: Normal, Corporate, Affiliated Credit Cards, Minors and Infants. The types of services in the VIP lounge include checking baggage and documents with customs and immigration plus the airline; a bar service; snacks etc.[11]

Operations

Augusto C. Sandino International Airport is Nicaragua's main international gateway. Domestic flights fly between Bluefields and the Corn Islands airports while also serving a number of airstrips to the country's east. The airport is accessed by the Panamerican Highway, known as the Carretera Norte. The airport serves as the hub for Avianca Nicaragua.

Airlines and destinations

Passenger
AirlinesDestinations
Aeroméxico ConnectMexico City (resumes August 1, 2020)[12]
American AirlinesMiami
Avianca Costa RicaSan Jose (CR)
Avianca El SalvadorMiami, San Salvador
Avianca GuatemalaGuatemala City, San Salvador
Conviasa Caracas, Havana, Panama City–Tocumen
Copa AirlinesGuatemala City, Panama City–Tocumen (resumes August 7, 2020),[13] San José (CR)
Delta Air LinesAtlanta
La CosteñaBluefields, Bonanza, Corn Island, Emerald Coast, Ometepe, Puerto Cabezas, Rosita, San Carlos, San Juan de Nicaragua (Greytown), Siuna, Tegucigalpa, Waspam
Charter: Montelimar Beach
Spirit AirlinesFort Lauderdale
United AirlinesHouston–Intercontinental

Cargo
AirlinesDestinations
Amerijet InternationalMiami, Panama City–Tocumen, San Pedro Sula
LATAM Cargo ColombiaBogotá, Miami, Panama City–Tocumen
UPS AirlinesMiami, Panama City–Tocumen, San Salvador

Statistics

Traffic figures
Lockheed L-188 Electra of TAN Airlines (Transportes Aéreos Nacionales S.A.) operating at Las Mercedes Airport, Managua, Nicaragua in 1970s
American Airlines Boeing 737-800 arriving to Managua. The carrier's route from Miami International Airport is one of the well-traveled routes from the airport.
Traffic by calendar year. Official Government Statistics
PassengersChange from previous yearAircraft operationsChange from previous yearCargo
(metric tons)		Change from previous year
2006 979,508 6.96%30,897 0.30%19,223 0.05%
2007 1,051,830 7.38%30,609 0.93%21,72713.03%
2008 1,138,626 8.25%31,705 3.58%19,12911.96%
2009 1,090,004 4.27%31,677 0.09%18,946 0.96%
2010 1,102,196 1.12%30,030 5.20%25,98137.13%
2011 1,120,147 1.63%28,855 3.91%22,33014.05%
2012 1,201,141 7.23%30,697 6.38%23,531 5.38%
2013 1,206,172 0.42%29,955 2.42%22,281 5.41%
2014 1,311,965 8.77%29,326 2.10%23,375 4.91%
2015 1,499,75614.31%32,173 9.71%29,03424.21%
2016 1,533,0342.22%36,822 14.45%25,38312.57%
2017 1,627,5276.16%36,510 0.85%25,6391.01%
Source: Nicaraguan Institute of Civil Aviation. Statistical Reports
(Years 2007,[14] 2008,[15] 2009,[16] 2010,[17] 2011,[18] 2012,[19] 2013,[20] 2014,[21] 2015[22] and 2016[23])

Top international destinations
Busiest international routes to and from MGA (Jan. 2014 – Dec. 2016)
Airport201420152016Δ 14-15Δ 15-16Carriers
1 Miami, United States 407,800 443,800 470,000 08.8% 05.9% American, Avianca
2 Houston, United States 172,400 211,400 194,000 022.6% 08.2% Spirit, United
3 Panama City, Panama 174,000 196,600 197,700 013.0% 01.1% Copa
4 San Salvador, El Salvador 165,600 175,900 145,000 06.2% 030.9% Avianca, Volaris
5 San José, Costa Rica 78,500 79,900 100,000 01.7% 025.1% Avianca, Copa, Volaris
6 Atlanta, United States 87,100 96,500 97,000 010.7% 00.5% Delta
7 Guatemala City, Guatemala 42,500 52,800 86,000 024.2% 062.9% Avianca, Copa
8 Mexico City, Mexico 3,500 45,700 52,000 01,222.8% 013.7% Aeroméxico Connect
Source: Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure (MTI). Transportation Statistical Yearbook of Nicaragua (Years 2014,[21] 2015[22] and 2016[23]).

Traffic Share of Airlines flying to MGA
AirlinePercentage of Passengers Transported (2015)
Copa Airlines31%
Avianca El Salvador20%
American Airlines15%
United Airlines14%
Delta Air Lines7%
Spirit Airlines6%
Aeromexico3%
Aero Caribbean2%
La Costeña1%
Conviasa1%
Nature Air1%
Total 100.0%

See also

References
  1. (in Spanish)Publicación de Información Aeronáutica de la República de Nicaragua Archived 2016-11-12 at the Wayback Machine
  2. (in Spanish) Anuario Estadístico de Transporte de Nicaragua 2016 Archived 2017-10-11 at the Wayback Machine
  3. Velásquez SevillaMi, Mirna. "Aeropuerto vuelve a ser Sandino". La Prensa (in Spanish). Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved October 17, 2007.
  4. "Aeropuerto Internacional "Augusto C. Sandino"" (PDF) (in Spanish). EAAI. p. 2. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 26, 2007. Retrieved February 14, 2008.
  5. Westcott, Kathryn (May 22, 2006). "Flying from where?; Cultural Heritage". BBC News. Archived from the original on October 11, 2007. Retrieved October 17, 2007.
  6. "History". EAAI. Archived from the original on August 10, 2007. Retrieved October 17, 2007.
  7. "Managua International Airport". Airplanes.com. Archived from the original on October 12, 2007. Retrieved October 17, 2007.
  8. "Cultural" Archived 2014-04-09 at the Wayback Machine, El Nuevo Diario, 19 February 2000
  9. "Technical Information". EAAI. Archived from the original on August 8, 2007. Retrieved October 17, 2007.
  10. "Projects in Progress". EAAI. Archived from the original on August 8, 2007. Retrieved October 17, 2007.
  11. "VIP Lounge". EAAI. Archived from the original on August 9, 2007. Retrieved October 17, 2007.
  12. "Safety Precautions: COVID-19". Aeroméxico. June 2020. Retrieved June 16, 2020.
  13. "Copa Airlines plans to resume its flights". Nicolás Larenas (in Spanish). June 2020. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
  14. Anuario Estadistico 2007 Archived 2016-11-12 at the Wayback Machine. Instituto Nicaragüense de Aeronáutica Civil
  15. Anuario Estadistico 2008 Archived 2016-11-12 at the Wayback Machine. Instituto Nicaragüense de Aeronáutica Civil
  16. Anuario Estadistico 2009 Archived 2017-03-05 at the Wayback Machine. Instituto Nicaragüense de Aeronáutica Civil
  17. Anuario Estadistico 2010 Archived 2016-11-12 at the Wayback Machine. Instituto Nicaragüense de Aeronáutica Civil
  18. Anuario Estadistico 2011 Archived 2016-11-12 at the Wayback Machine. Instituto Nicaragüense de Aeronáutica Civil
  19. Anuario Estadistico 2012 Archived 2016-11-12 at the Wayback Machine. Instituto Nicaragüense de Aeronáutica Civil
  20. Anuario Estadistico 2013 Archived 2016-11-12 at the Wayback Machine. Instituto Nicaragüense de Aeronáutica Civil
  21. Anuario Estadístico de Transporte de Nicaragua 2014 Archived 2019-08-06 at the Wayback Machine. Ministerio de Transporte e Infraestructura (MTI)
  22. Anuario Estadístico de Transporte de Nicaragua 2015 Archived 2019-04-13 at the Wayback Machine. Ministerio de Transporte e Infraestructura (MTI)
  23. Anuario Estadístico de Transporte de Nicaragua 2016 Archived 2017-10-11 at the Wayback Machine. Ministerio de Transporte e Infraestructura (MTI)
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