Viru Viru International Airport

Viru Viru International Airport (IATA: VVI, ICAO: SLVR) in Santa Cruz de la Sierra is Bolivia's largest international airport. Viru Viru handles domestic, regional, and international flights from Bolivia, North America, South America and Europe and is the hub for Bolivia's biggest airline Boliviana de Aviación. The airport is able to handle aircraft up to the Boeing 747-400.

Viru Viru International Airport
Summary
Airport typePublic
OperatorAbertis
LocationSanta Cruz de la Sierra
Hub for
Focus city forBoliviana de Aviación
Elevation AMSL1,225 ft / 373 m
Coordinates17°38′41″S 63°08′07″W
Map
VVI
Location of airport in Bolivia
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
16/34 11,483 3,500 Concrete
Statistics (2015)
Passengers2,384,746
Source: SABSA,[1] Airport Statistics[2]

History

The airport was opened in 1983, to replace the obsolete El Trompillo Airport. Upon its inauguration, Viru Viru became a main gateway for international flights. Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano used Viru Viru as a hub before ceasing operations in 2008. On 1 March 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 Airport 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. In 2004, Spain's Abertis/AENA purchased TBI. This airport is the most popular airport in Bolivia.

Airlines and destinations

Passenger
AirlinesDestinations
Aerolíneas ArgentinasBuenos Aires–Aeroparque[3]
Air Europa Madrid
Amaszonas by Nella Asunción, Cochabamba, Córdoba, Cuzco,[4] Guayaramerín, Iquique, La Paz, Montevideo, Riberalta, São Paulo–Guarulhos, Sucre, Tarija, Yacuiba
Avianca Bogotá
Boliviana de Aviación Buenos Aires–Ezeiza, Cobija, Cochabamba, La Paz, Madrid, Miami, Oruro, Salta, São Paulo–Guarulhos, Sucre, Tarija, Trinidad, Yacuiba
Conviasa Caracas
Copa Airlines Panama City–Tocumen
Eastern Airlines Miami (begins March 28, 2022)
EcoJet Cobija, Guayaramerín, Riberalta, Sucre, Tarija, Trinidad
LATAM Chile Santiago de Chile
LATAM Perú Lima
Paranair Asunción[5]

Cargo
AirlinesDestinations
TAB - Transportes Aéreos Bolivianos Cochabamba, La Paz, Miami

Statistics

Top destinations
Busiest international routes from VVI
(2015–2016)[6]
Rank City Passengers Top carriers  % Change
1 Miami, United States 386,496 American Airlines, Boliviana de Aviación 4%
2 São Paulo (Guarulhos), Brazil 372,773 Boliviana de Aviación, Gol Airlines 10%
3 Buenos Aires (Ezeiza), Argentina 358,943 Aerolíneas Argentinas, Austral Líneas Aéreas, Boliviana de Aviación 43%
4 Madrid, Spain 348,603 Air Europa, Boliviana de Aviación 5%
5 Panama City, Panama 278,277 Copa Airlines 15%
6 Lima, Peru 268,584 Avianca Ecuador, LATAM Perú 26%
7 Iquique, Chile 94,733 Amaszonas, LATAM Chile 7%
8 Asunción, Paraguay 79,962 Amaszonas, LATAM Paraguay 13%

References
  1. http://www.sabsa.aero/aeropuerto-el-alto
  2. http://www.sabsa.aero/Documentos/informacion/Estadistico_pax_atz.pdf
  3. "Los vuelos internacionales que tendrá Aeroparque a partir del 16 de marzo". Aviacionline (in Spanish). 15 March 2021. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  4. Liu, Jim. "Amaszonas outlines Embraer E190 network from Sep 2019; new routes launch in Dec 2019". Routesonline. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
  5. "Paranair anuncia nueva ruta de Asunción a Santa Cruz de la Sierra". Aeronauticapy (in Spanish). 9 September 2021. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
  6. "Tráfico de pasajeros – Origen/Destino Servicio Regular Internacional" (PDF). Dirección General de Aeronáutica Civil (Bolivia) (in Spanish). January 2017. Retrieved 9 May 2017.
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