Olaya Herrera Airport

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Olaya Herrera Airport
Aeropuerto Olaya Herrera

IATA: EOH – ICAO: SKMD
Summary
Airport type Commercial
Operator Aeronáutica Civil (Civil Aviation Company)
Serves Medellín
Location Medellín
Elevation AMSL 1,505 m / 4,940 ft
Coordinates 06°13′11″N 75°35′25″W / 6.21972, -75.59028
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
02/20 2,510 8,234 Paved

Enrique Olaya Herrera Airport (Spanish: Aeropuerto Enrique Olaya Herrera) (IATA: EOHICAO: SKMD) is an airport located in Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia, near the center of the city. The airport is named for Enrique Olaya Herrera, President of Colombia from 1930-1934.

Contents

[edit] History

Olaya Herrera was formerly the main international airport serving the City of Medellín and its surrounding areas until the construction of José María Córdova International Airport in the southern suburb of Rionegro, Antioquia, Colombia, located about 38 km (23.75 Miles) from the city center. The Airport was once the headquarters and main base of operations for the now defunct Colombian airlines of ACES Colombia and West Caribbean Airways. ACES ceased operations in 2003 due to financial difficulties and its routes were taken over by national partner, Avianca, which moved all operations to Córdova airport. West Caribbean began suffering from financial difficulties in late 2004 and shut down all operations in September 2005, mainly due to two major air crashes, one of which received international attention. After the West Caribbean crashes were determined to have been caused by poor maintenance, the Civil Aviation Authority of Colombia striped West Caribbean and two other airlines (Intercontinal de Aviación, and Aerotaca) their rights to operate under Colombian law after each of these failed to pass operational inspections. All three airlines were former tenants of Olaya Herrera.

Despite no longer having scheduled international flights, Olaya Herrera Airport retained its international status, partly because the airport was once the major international airport serving Medellin, but also due to the fact the airport continues to have customs and immigration facilities allowing for charter and private international flights to occur. This allows the airport to become available for international aircraft diversions in case the Rionegro airport is unable to fulfill this need.

The airport recently installed numerous large television screens provided by Scala[1], in the main terminal. These screens are meant to provide passengers with up to date arrival and departure information but are also designed to entertain passengers with music and Macromedia Flash animations. They are meant to replace the old flight information system which was not electronically controlled.

[edit] Airlines

[edit] Regular Services

  • Aerolínea de Antioquia (Acandí, Apartadó, Armenia, Bahía Solano, Bucaramanga, Capurgana, Caucasia, Condoto, Corozal, Cúcuta, El Bagre, Manizales, Montería, Necoclí, Nuquí, Pereira, Puerto Truinfo, Quibdó, Remedios, San Pedro, Turbo)
  • Aexpa (Condoto, Quibdó, Nuquí, Bahía Solano)
  • AIRES (Apartadó, Armenia, Bucaramanga, Ibague, Manizales, Montería, Pereira, Quibdó)
  • EasyFly (Armenía, "Apartadó, Bucaramanga, Cúcuta, Montería, Pereira, Quibdó" [shortly])
  • SATENA (Apartadó, Bahía Solano, Bogotá, Bucaramanga, Cali, Corozal, Montería, Nuquí, Pereira, Quibdó)

[edit] Chartered Services

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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