El Salvador International Airport

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Comalapa International Airport
IATA: SAL - ICAO: MSLP
Summary
Airport type Joint (Civil and Military)
Operator CEPA
Serves San Salvador
Elevation AMSL 101 ft (31 m)
Coordinates 13°26′27.41″N, 89°03′20.62″W
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
07/25 10,500 3,200 Asphalt
18/36
 2,625 800 Asphalt

El Salvador International Airport (IATA: SAL, ICAO: MSLP), commonly known as Comalapa International Airport or its real name Cuscatlán International Airport, is located about 50 km (30 miles) from San Salvador in El Salvador. It was built in the late 1970s to replace its predecessor, Ilopango International Airport, which is now used for military and charter aviation, but there are plans to rehabilitate it as an international airport by 2009. There are also plans to build a new airport on the Salvadoran coast of El Tamarindo, La Union, along with tourist facilities on the beach. The project is in association with the Exedra Group of Italy.

International airport of Comalapa
International airport of Comalapa

Contents

[edit] Airport Infrastructure

Comalapa International Airport has 2 main terminals with plans to build a third one. The passenger terminal is a long, modern building decorated in a traditional style and neutral colours. The cargo terminal, located a few metres left of the passenger terminal, handles millions of tons of cargo each year. Currently there is a master plan for Comalapa International Airport which includes making the primary runway long enough for the Airbus A380, the rehabilitation of the secondary runway, several lighting and radar improvements, new taxiways, and the construction of a second passenger terminal that will be used in regional flights with small to medium aircraft like the Twin Otter, Grand Caravans, and Airbus A318 and A319; this would be a TACA regional terminal. This master plan intends to expand the airport's capacity by 40% maintaining good traffic levels for up to 20 years when, according to the study, the airport's traffic will be around 12 million passengers a year.

The major airline serving Comalapa is TACA which controls about 60% of the traffic, but several other airlines such as United Airlines, American Airlines, Mexicana operate within the airport. The most common destination from the airport is Los Angeles, California, with 5-7 flights daily. With 17 gates, it receives more than 1.9 million passengers a year. It serves as the main hub for TACA International Airlines which has several VIP lounges located in the passenger terminal. The airport has one major runway. Runway 7/25 is 10,500 feet long and 101 feet above sea level, so it can serve most modern aircraft. Also within the airport's area Aeroman, a world leader in aircraft maintenance, has its headquarters and most of its equipment.

El Salvador International Airport is located 45 minutes from the city of San Salvador. Excellent roads connect the airport with the city. Many international flights are scheduled every day, mainly USA cities as also the South American city of Lima, Peru. In 2007 the airport's traffic will increase according to the Salvadoran Minister of Tourism who has already started planning all the future projects. Result of this is the direct flight between San Salvador and the European city of Milan, Italy with a charter airline.

Comalapa airport, waiting area
Comalapa airport, waiting area
Looking towards the airport from inside a plane
Looking towards the airport from inside a plane

[edit] Modernization Project & Expansion

El Salvador just made an agreement with the government of France to study the structure of the airport in the first semester of 2007. This study will be in charge of ADPI, a french company which controls the architectural design and the engeeniring of the Paris's Charles de Gaulle International Airport.

[edit] Facts

The airport's modern facilities include duty-free shops, fast food and full-service restaurants, bars, air conditioned areas, tourist facilities, car rental, clean bathrooms, and spacious waiting rooms. With space for 17 airplanes on the main terminal, 3 on the cargo terminal, 5 in Aeroman, and around 20 in the "Long Term Parking" which is runway 18/36 plus one of the world's most modern airport radars, 94.5% of the airport's flights are on time (2005 data). The airport and runway have been closed at least twice in the almost quarter century since opening. They were closed for several hours following the devastating earthquake of 2001, followed up with minor repairs to the east end of the runway. They were closed again for several hours in 2005 due to Hurricane Stan. Although the airport is located near the Pacific Ocean, storms and hurricanes are not frequent.

This airport has also served political purposes, receiving Air Force One on various occasions, carrying U.S. Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. The airport has an Executive VIP lounge called "Salon Presidencial" where Salvadoran president Antonio Saca meets with his homologous presidents.

[edit] Airlines and Destinations

Comalapa has two terminals with plans to build a third.

[edit] Terminal 1

[edit] Terminal 2 (Cargo Terminal)

[edit] External links

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