Juan Gualberto Gómez Airport

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.

Juan Gualberto Gómez Airport

Aeropuerto Juan Gualberto Gómez
Summary
Airport typePublic
OperatorECASA S.A.
ServesVaradero and Matanzas
Location5 km from Carbonera
Elevation AMSL64 m / 210 ft
Coordinates23°02′04″N 81°26′07″W
Websitevaradero-airport.com
Map
MUVR
Location in Cuba
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
06/24 3,502 11,490 Asphalt
Statistics (2009)
Number of Passengers1,275,000
Source: Aerodrome chart[1]

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
AirlinesDestinations
Air Canada Rouge Montréal–Trudeau (resumes July 5, 2020),[4] Toronto–Pearson (resumes July 6, 2020)[4]
Seasonal: Ottawa
Air Transat Montréal–Trudeau, Toronto–Pearson
Seasonal: Halifax, Hamilton, Moncton, Ottawa, Québec City, Winnipeg
Azur Air Charter: Moscow–Vnukovo
Blue Panorama Airlines Milan–Malpensa
Condor Frankfurt (resumes September 25, 2020)[5]
Corsair International Paris–Orly
Cubana de Aviación Bogotá, Mexico City
Edelweiss Air Seasonal: Zürich
Interjet Seasonal: Mexico City
LOT Polish Airlines Seasonal charter: Warsaw–Chopin
Magnicharters Seasonal: Monterrey
Neos Seasonal charter: Milan–Malpensa
Nordwind Airlines Seasonal charter: Moscow–Sheremetyevo
Orbest Seasonal: Lisbon (begins August 1, 2020)[6]
Royal Flight Seasonal: Moscow–Sheremetyevo
Servicios Aéreos Profesionales Punta Cana
Sunclass Airlines Seasonal: Copenhagen, Stockholm–Arlanda
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, Saint John, St. John's, Saskatoon, Thunder Bay, Windsor, Winnipeg
TUI Airways Manchester (UK) [7]
TUI fly Belgium Brussels
TUI fly Netherlands Amsterdam
VivaAerobus Charter: Mexico City
Wamos Air Madrid
WestJet Toronto–Pearson
Seasonal: Calgary

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.

  • 6 March 2005 - Air Transat Flight 961 Airbus A310 returned safely to airport following detachment of rudder after take off.
  • 29 December 1992 - Aerocaribbean Antonov 26 was hijacked en route to Varadero Airport from Havana. The aircraft landed in Miami.[8]

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

  • 3 July 1961 - Cubana de Aviación Douglas DC-3 was hijacked en route to Varadero Airport from Havana. Aircraft lands in Miami.[9]
  • 25 April 1959 - Cubana de Aviación Vickers Viscount was hijacked after takeoff from the Varadero Airport and forced to land at Key West International Airport.[10]
  • 1 November 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.[11]

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. "Air Canada NS20 International operations as of 10JUN20". Routes Online. June 2020. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
  5. "Condor Sep/Oct 2020 Long-Haul operations as of 11JUN20". Routes Online. June 2020. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
  6. "Orbest Airlines extends scheduled service suspension to July 2020". Routes Online. June 2020. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
  7. "Tui is adding new flights to Cuba and Gambia – two destinations previously served by former rival Thomas Cook". ttgmedia.com. 28 November 2019.
  8. Ranter, Harro. "ASN Aircraft accident Antonov 26 CU-T110 Miami International Airport, FL (MIA)". aviation-safety.net.
  9. Ranter, Harro. "ASN Aircraft accident Douglas DC-3 registration unknown Miami, FL". aviation-safety.net.
  10. Ranter, Harro. "ASN Aircraft accident Vickers Viscount registration unknown Key West International Airport, FL (EYW)". aviation-safety.net.
  11. Ranter, Harro. "ASN Aircraft accident Vickers 755D Viscount CU-T603 Preston Airport (PST)". aviation-safety.net.

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