Juan Gualberto Gómez Airport

Juan Gualberto Gómez Airport
Aeropuerto Juan Gualberto Gómez
IATA: VRA – ICAO: MUVR
Summary
Airport type Public
Operator ECASA S.A.
Location Varadero
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 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 wood 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
Aerogaviota Trinidad
Aerotaxi Sancti Spiritus
Air Berlin Düsseldorf
Seasonal: Berlin–Tegel
Air Canada Seasonal: Halifax, Ottawa
Air Canada Rouge Montréal–Trudeau, Toronto–Pearson
Air Europa Seasonal: Madrid
Air Transat Montréal–Trudeau
Seasonal: Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax, Hamilton, London (ON), Moncton, Ottawa, Québec City, Regina, Saskatoon, St. John's, Toronto–Pearson, Vancouver, Winnipeg
Alitalia Rome-Fiumicino
American Airlines Miami
Azur Air Seasonal charter: Moscow-Domodedovo
Condor Seasonal: Frankfurt, Munich, Vienna
Cubana de Aviación Buenos Aires–Ezeiza, Havana, Montréal–Trudeau, Santiago de Cuba, Toronto–Pearson
Eurowings
operated by SunExpress Deutschland 		Cologne/Bonn
FinnairSeasonal: Helsinki[4]
Interjet Mexico City
LOT Polish Airlines Charter: Warsaw–Chopin
Neos Seasonal charter: Milan–Malpensa
Nordwind Airlines Seasonal charter: Moscow–Sheremetyevo
Servicios Aéreos Profesionales Punta Cana
Silver Airways Fort Lauderdale
Southwest Airlines Fort Lauderdale[5]
Sunwing Airlines Calgary, Edmonton, Montréal–Trudeau, Ottawa, Toronto–Pearson, Vancouver
Seasonal: Bagotville, Deer Lake, Fredericton, Gander, Halifax, Hamilton, Kelowna, London (ON), Moncton, North Bay, Québec City, Regina, Saint John, Saskatoon, Sault Ste. Marie, Thunder Bay, Windsor, Winnipeg
Thomas Cook Airlines Manchester (UK)
Seasonal: Belfast–International
Thomson Airways London–Gatwick
TUI Airlines Netherlands Amsterdam
TUIfly Belgium Brussels
Virgin Atlantic London–Gatwick (begins April 2, 2017)[6]
WestJet Toronto–Pearson
Seasonal: Calgary, London (ON)
Orbest Seasonal charter: Lisbon
XL Airways France Paris–Charles de Gaulle (begins December 19, 2016)[7]

Cargo

AirlinesDestinations
Fedex Express Miami (begins January 15, 2017)

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.

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

References

  1. ↑ Aerodrome chart issued 10 May 2007
  2. ↑ www.radioangulo.cu - Servicios Archivo Aeropuerto de Varadero entre los mejores del país (Spanish only)
  3. ↑
  4. ↑ http://www.routesonline.com/news/38/airlineroute/269973/finnair-w16-leisure-service-additions/
  5. ↑ http://www.routesonline.com/news/38/airlineroute/269338/southwest-airlines-schedules-cuba-debut-in-nov-2016/
  6. ↑ Liu, Jim (14 June 2016). "Virgin Atlantic Adds Varadero Service from April 2017". routesonline. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
  7. ↑ Liu, Jim (15 June 2016). "XL Airways France Adds Cuba Service in W16". routesonline. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
  8. ↑ http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19921229-0
  9. ↑ http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19610703-0
  10. ↑ http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19590425-1
  11. ↑ http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19581101-0

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