| El Dorado International Airport Aeropuerto Internacional El Dorado |
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| IATA: BOG – ICAO: SKBO
BOG
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| Summary | |||
| Airport type | Public / Military | ||
| Operator | OPAIN S.A. | ||
| Location | Bogotá | ||
| Hub for | |||
| Elevation AMSL | 2,628 m / 8,361 ft | ||
| Website | |||
| Runways | |||
| Direction | Length | Surface | |
| m | ft | ||
| 13L/31R | 3,800 | 12,467 | Asphalt |
| 13R/31L | 3,800 | 12,467 | Asphalt |
| Statistics (2010) | |||
| Aircraft operations | 267,000 | ||
| Passengers | 18,934,203 | ||
| Cargo tonnage | 593,946 | ||
| Source:[1] | |||
El Dorado International Airport (IATA: BOG, ICAO: SKBO) is an international airport located in Bogotá, Colombia. It is the largest Latin America airport in terms of cargo movements with 593,946 tons (2010) and the third in terms of passenger traffic, only behind São Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport and Mexico City's Benito Juárez International Airport, transporting 18,934,203 passengers in 2010; as well as the largest airport in Colombia and the main international and domestic air gateway in the country, serving as an important hub for Avianca (the national flag carrier of Colombia), Copa Airlines Colombia, LAN Colombia, Satena, EasyFly and other cargo companies. It is managed by Operadora Aeroportuaria Internacional (OPAIN), a consortium composed of Colombian construction and engineering firms and the Swiss Flughafen Zürich AG.
El Dorado is, politically and economically, the most important airport in Colombia and serves as the nation's primary international gateway, accounting for 49% of the total air traffic in the country. It handles all domestic and international flights into Bogotá and boasts the world's third largest landing field 6.9 square kilometres (1,700 acres) of land. El Dorado is located about 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) west of the city center; Avenida El Dorado (26 street), one of the fastest highways in Bogotá, provides passengers access to downtown. At the end of the year 2008 construction of a new TransMilenio line started, which will connect the airport with the mass transportation system of the city.
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El Dorado Passenger Terminal was designed during the government of General Gustavo Rojas Pinilla. Its construction began in 1955 and entered in service at the end of 1959, replacing the interim terminal and joining other portions of the then brand new airport. The new terminal consisted of several taxiways, maintenance platforms, parking areas, a cellar, passenger halls, Mezzanine areas and other amenities. Its second floor consisted of the departures area with executive waiting rooms and restaurants. The third floor consisted mainly of offices for the airlines and of other airport related services.
The fourth floor held the management offices and its dependencies which accounted through to the fifth floor. The sixth floor contained mainly the dependencies of meteorology and power station of air navigation aids of the ECA. The seventh floor held the route control facilities for the runways and taxiways and the eighth floor contained air traffic radar controllers. The ninth floor contained the airport's electrical maintenance and offices, and the tenth floor held the control tower and air traffic controllers.
In 1973, the airport hit a milestone by serving nearly three million passengers and processing nearly 5 million pieces of luggage. That year turned out to be one of most prosperous for the industry of aviation, registering high passenger growth in both domestic and international loads. In that time the necessity for a second runway at El Dorado was expressed under concerns that the explosive growth would lead to over congestion in the future. In 1981, Avianca undertook the construction of the Puente Aéreo Terminal inaugurated by President Julio César Turbay Ayala, to serve its high density flights from Bogotá to Cali, Medellín, Miami and New York City. In 1990, the Special Administrative Unit of Civil Aeronautics (Aerocivil) moved to the third floor in the main building. During this same year, the Centro de Estudios Aeronáuticos and at the east part of the airport the building for the National Center for Aeronavigation were constructed. In 1998, the second runway was officially opened.
Over the past few years, the baggage claim areas has been extended on both the northern and southern portions of the airport, and the departure lounges towards the west have also been greatly expanded, adding more restaurants and shops.
On 10 December 1998, Avianca officially opened its hub in Bogotá, offering an estimated 6,000 possible connections per week, including greater numbers of frequencies, schedules and destinations served. Connections between domestic and international destinations are currently operated directly and through codesharing agreements with airlines such as Delta Air Lines, Lacsa (part of Grupo Taca), Iberia and Air Canada.
Operations out of the Bogotá hub allow travelers to easily connect between domestic destinations (such as Medellín to San Andrés), from a domestic destination to an international destination (Such as Cali to Los Angeles), from an international destination to a domestic city (Such as Ft. Lauderdale to Baranquilla), between two international destinations (Such as Paris to Guayaquil) and allows for simpler codeshare connections (such as Atlanta to Cartagena with Delta Air Lines and Avianca).
The hub also features facilities for easier transits, such as exclusive check-in counters for travelers in transit, buses for internal transportation between Puente Aéreo and El Dorado terminals, and a special lounge for international transit passengers to avoid having to go through Colombian customs and immigration between transits.
In 1981, Avianca undertook the construction of a new exclusive terminal to be called the Puente Aéreo (Air Bridge), which was eventually inaugurated by President Julio Cesar Turbay Ayala Avianca's original purpose for the terminal was to attend flights to Cali, Medellín, Miami and New York. During the first years of operation and until 2005 Avianca gradually moved all of its domestic operations to the Puente Aéreo and shifted the Miami and New York operations to the main terminal.
This allowed them to streamline their operations by using space previously assigned to customs and immigration for passenger gates and lounges. The culmination of this process came in 2006 when the airline undertook extensive renovations on the building. However, the airline was mindful of the then impending and current reconstruction of El Dorado International Airport which contemplates demolishing the Puente Aéreo along with the main terminal and old cargo buildings to be replaced with a new mega terminal. Many of the reforms made to the terminal in 2006 were obviously temporary and designed to be cheap but effective. For example, the walkways for the new gates are simply floor tiles placed over the old tarmac and the structure is made of aluminum with plastic sheets instead of glass windows. Passengers must cross the lanes used by buses, baggage carts and other vehicles in order to reach the aircraft. Once at the gate travellers must climb stairs to access the plane, much as was the norm in the 1950s and 1960s but has for many years been surpassed by enclosed, level boarding ramps.
In February 2008 Avianca opened a pioneer store called Aviancastore which sells different products including: toy airplanes, hats, umbrellas, clothing, stuffed toys, pens, mugs and other such products, all embossed with the company logo. The store was an instant success and the airline extended the concept to various other cities in Colombia.
On 3 September 1932 it was launched the first Military Transport Service in Colombia, when a Junkers F-13 carried Colonel Luis Acevedo and his party to Leticia. Colonel Acevedo also served as Colombia's General Director of aviation. Although the military air transport infrastructure was not formed yet, that mission was accomplished during the conflict with Peru in a rudimentary but effective way, with aircraft like the Junkers W-34, Ju-52 and BT-32 Condor.
In 1954 he created a "Liaison Squadron" operating under direct orders of the President of the Republic, at the time, Gen. Gustavo Rojas Pinilla. The Squadron was located in the Airport of Techo, the first airport of Bogotá. Its success led to the creation of a Military Airlift Group, which reached the category of Transportation Base in 1959. By then El Dorado International Airport was finished, so the Colombian Air Force ordered the transfer of the Unit to an area adjacent to the new Airport of El Dorado, using the civil airport facilities, while finishing the construction of a new base. The base was baptized as Comando Aéreo de Transporte Militar (Military Transportation Air Command) or CATAM. The base was inaugurated on May 28, 1963.
The base acquired the status of Operations and Logistics Support Center by FAC Directive No. 4429 of 8 July, 1963, starting operations on 25 October. In 1968 the first two Hercules C-130B, with Colombian airplane military numbers FAC-1001 and FAC-1002, were delivered to this base. These aircraft, clearly designed for war missions and troop and materials transport, were able to use short and unpaved runways used in military operations through the country, fulfilling the needs of Colombian Air Force.
In 1977, the Military Transport Aviation Command was named after the Colombian aviation pioneer, Honorary Brigadier General Camilo Daza Alvarez. In order to expand its capacity for troop and cargo transportation in support of surface forces, in their fight against subversion and drug trafficking, the Air Force acquired new C-130 Hercules aircraft that been used for security purposes but also for humanitarian assistance. Between 1990 and 1991 the base received from the U.S. government six C-130B aircraft to support operations to combat drug trafficking and guerrillas.
In 1996 the base opened new ground accesses through an area devoted to the Military Transport Aviation Command. The narrow street that impeded the entrance and exit of vehicles was replaced by a dual carriageway and a tunnel that allows access to vehicular traffic passing below the airplane access ramp to runway number 2 of El Dorado International Airport. The parking lot was also enlarged to serve up to 260 vehicles. The base hosts the Colombian Air Force Museum, which has planes in display that represent the various types used in service during the 85 years history of the force.https://www.fac.mil.co/index.php?idcategoria=130&pag=3
In 2003 NVG equipment for night vision air operations was installed in Hercules C-130 and CN-235 Nurtanio airplanes. This increased the operational and support capacity of the base given to ground Army force, by allowing transportation, parachuting and aeromedical evacuation on combat runways lacking illumination. In this way Colombian Air Force almost doubled its operating capacity at this base, since it works 24 hours a day. https://www.fac.mil.co/index.php?idcategoria=115
The airport has two passenger terminals, the main terminal, El Dorado, named after the famed legend of El Dorado handles all international and domestic arrivals, except Avianca's domestic flights. Check-in counters, ticket counters, immigration office and customs are located on the lower level while information boards, information office, waiting rooms and emigration are located on the upper level.
The main building has two concourses; the domestic concourse and the international concourse. The domestic concourse contains 11 gates and 5 additional for regional flights. The international concourse contains 9 gates. This main building has a passenger area of 54,000 square feet (5,000 m2) and provides different services such as travel agencies, restaurants, book stores and craft shops, automated teller machines (ATMs), duty free shops, communication services and complimentary Wi-fi throughout the terminal. At the domestic and international arrivals level, passengers can find tourist information offices and ground transportation services within the city.
The second terminal, known as Puente Aéreo (air bridge) is a privately owned terminal that exclusively serves Avianca's and its subsidiary SAM's domestic and regional flights. Initially, the terminal exclusively served passengers on the Miami, New York-JFK, Cali, Medellín, Pasto, and Montería routes. It was renovated in October 2006, after an investment of US$7.5 million and handles a total of more than 120 daily flights with capacity to handle 4.4 million passengers annually. The terminal has a passenger area of 4,416 square feet (410.3 m2) and 14 domestic gates and helps reducing connection times between domestic flights. The terminal also provides additional services for travelers and visitors, such as access to shopping facilities, domestic and international calls, taxi services, ATMs, restaurants and fast food restaurants and numerous book and gift shops.
The Special Administrative Unit of Civil Aeronautics (Aerocivil) is located in the new Aerocivil Building, located on the airport property.[2][3] Previously it was located on the fourth floor of the main terminal building.[4][5]
| Airlines | Destinations | Terminal/ Wing |
|---|---|---|
| Aerolíneas Argentinas | Buenos Aires-Ezeiza | 1A |
| Aeroméxico | Mexico City | 1A |
| Air Canada | Toronto-Pearson | 1A |
| Air France | Paris-Charles de Gaulle | 1A |
| American Airlines | Miami | 1A |
| Avianca | Armenia, Aruba, Barrancabermeja, Barranquilla, Barcelona, Bucaramanga, Buenos Aires-Ezeiza, Cali, Caracas, Cartagena de Indias, Cúcuta, Curaçao, Florencia [begins January 23], Fort Lauderdale, Guayaquil, Ibagué, La Paz, Lima, Madrid, Manizales, Mexico City, Miami, Montería, Neiva, New York-JFK, Orlando, Panama City, Pasto, Pereira, Popayán, Punta Cana, Rio de Janeiro-Galeão, Riohacha, San Andrés Island, Santa Marta, Santo Domingo, Santiago de Chile, São Paulo-Guarulhos, San Salvador, Valencia (Venezuela), Valledupar, Washington-Dulles Seasonal: Cancún |
1A, P.A. |
| Avianca operated by Aerogal | Quito | 1A |
| Avianca Brazil | São Paulo-Guarulhos | 1A |
| Conviasa | Caracas | 1A |
| Copa Airlines | Panama City | 1A |
| Copa Airlines Colombia | Barranquilla, Bucaramanga, Cali, Cancún, Caracas, Cartagena, Cúcuta, Guatemala City, Guayaquil, Havana, Leticia, Medellín-Córdova, Mexico City, Panama City, Quito, San Andrés Island, San José de Costa Rica, Santa Marta | 1A/1B |
| Cubana de Aviación | Havana | 1A |
| Delta Air Lines | Atlanta, New York-JFK | 1A |
| Dutch Antilles Express | Curaçao | 1A |
| EasyFly | Armenia, Barrancabermeja, Neiva, Quibdó, Yopal | 1B |
| Iberia | Madrid | 1A |
| JetBlue Airways | Orlando | 1A |
| Lacsa | San José de Costa Rica | 1A |
| LAN Airlines | Miami, Santiago de Chile | 1A |
| LAN Colombia | Armenia, Barranquilla, Bucaramanga, Cali, Cartagena, Cúcuta, Fort Lauderdale [ends January 31], Ibagué, Leticia, Manizales, Medellín-Córdova, Miami [begins February 1], Montería, Neiva, Pereira, Puerto Asís, Quibdó, San Andrés Island, Santa Marta, Villavicencio, Valledupar, Yopal | 1A/1B |
| LAN Perú | Lima | 1A |
| Lufthansa | Frankfurt | 1A |
| Satena | Arauca, Buenaventura, Corozal, Medellín-Olaya Herrera, Mitú, Neiva, Puerto Asís, Puerto Inírida, Puerto Carreño, Quibdó, San José del Guaviare, Saravena, San Vicente del Caguan, Villavicencio | 1B |
| Spirit Airlines | Fort Lauderdale | 1A |
| TACA Airlines | San Salvador | 1A |
| TACA Perú | Lima | 1A |
| TAM Airlines | São Paulo-Guarulhos | 1A |
| United Airlines | Houston-Intercontinental, Newark | 1A |
Cargo operations recently started within its respective new terminal; this includes an additional operational area of 5,586 square meters, plus 36,000 square meters for cargo processing, making El Dorado the airport with the highest load capacity in Latin America. The area of the warehouse is 19,757 square meters in total, the number of loading dock levelers were increased by 45 units to improve the loading and unloading of trucks directly to the processing area of the new cargo terminal. The Mezzanine level has an area of 4,471 square meters, its interior space is used for the convenience of operators as well as users.
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| Movements | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| passengers | 18.934.203 | 14.899.199 | 13.548.420 | 12.763.979 | 11.771.284 | 10.711.108 | 10.003.434 | 7.281.664 | 7.533.000 | 7.380.052 | 7.212.583 |
| Cargo (TM) | 594.946 | 512.844 | 578.812 | 585.598 | 590.931 | 561.318 | 531.474 | 482.152 | 420.605 | 374.608 | 378.035 |
| Rank | City | Passengers | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Miami, United States | 494,257 | 2.3% |
| 2 | Lima, Peru | 465,224 | 5.8% |
| 3 | Panama City, Panama | 459,236 | 10.2% |
| 4 | Madrid, Spain | 428,152 | 5.2% |
| 5 | New York, United States | 332,581 | 9.0% |
| 6 | Quito, Ecuador | 284,376 | 22.0% |
| 7 | Mexico City, Mexico | 272,009 | 46.0% |
| 8 | Ft. Lauderdale, USA | 266,674 | 47.2% |
| 9 | Caracas, Venezuela | 241,135 | 37.2% |
| 10 | São Paulo, Brazil | 216,161 | 48.2% |
| 11 | Paris, France | 162,737 | 1.6% |
| 12 | Houston, USA | 142,901 | 3.0% |
| 13 | Santiago de Chile | 141,527 | 25.5% |
| 14 | Buenos Aires, Argentina | 138,207 | 41.5% |
| 15 | Guayaquil, Ecuador | 122,084 | 17.2% |
| 16 | Atlanta, USA | 100,943 | 1.3% |
| 17 | Orlando, USA | 86,314 | 7.3% |
| 18 | San José de Costa Rica | 83,159 | 1.0% |
| 19 | Barcelona, Spain | 81,341 | 32.3% |
| 20 | Los Angeles, USA | 73,427 | 20.6% |
| Rank | City | Passengers | Top Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Medellin, Antioquia | 2,284,893 | Avianca, Copa Airlines Colombia, LAN Colombia, Satena |
| 2 | Cali, Colombia | 2,278.299 | Avianca, Copa Airlines Colombia, LAN Colombia |
| 3 | Cartagena, Bolivar | 1,506,984 | Avianca, Copa Airlines Colombia, LAN Colombia |
| 4 | Barranquilla, Atlantico | 1,281,655 | Avianca, Copa Airlines Colombia, LAN Colombia |
| 5 | Bucaramanga, Santander | 968,899 | Avianca, Copa Airlines Colombia, LAN Colombia |
| 6 | Santa Marta, Magdalena | 776,696 | Avianca, Copa Airlines Colombia, LAN Colombia |
| 7 | Cucuta, Norte de Santander | 673,745 | Avianca, Copa Airlines Colombia, LAN Colombia |
| 8 | Pereira, Risaralda | 627,838 | Avianca, LAN Colombia, Satena |
| 9 | San Andrés | 458,444 | Avianca, Copa Airlines Colombia, LAN Colombia, Satena |
| 10 | Monteria, Cordoba | 428,750 | Avianca, Copa Airlines Colombia, LAN Colombia |
Due to the high demand of passengers, it has now become apparent to build a new airport much more modern and more capable for both commercial and cargo flights. Although the original master plan called for a massive overhaul and expansion of existing terminal, the Colombian government has now realized the need to build a new airport.
The process began with the creation of the new terminal. On February 7, 2007, the airport was given a concession to the consortium Opain. The national government accepted the proposal with Opain (airport operating company), in demolishing the airport on March 14, 2008, after having given its concession. Initially the grant provided for the modernization of existing buildings and the construction of some additional buildings connected to the main terminal, but during the upgrading works (see below, Milestone 1), structural defects were discovered, which were not compromising the integrity of the building today. Opain from the beginning had proposed the demolish the aging terminal and had even submitted a new design to replace it, but the government had strongly opposed due to pressing budget and legal issues (because it would be a big change to the terms of the concession, which could make Opain as well as other competitors who participated in the tender submitted claims), although many sectors of public opinion agreed with Opain. After the structural problems are discovered, the government agreed to the demolition of the airport and compensation for the renovations that Opain had already been reached to perform (Milestone 1). For the airport to handle 16 million passengers annually and 1.5 million tons of cargo, Opain plans to move the cargo terminal to allow the expansion of the passenger terminal, and ensure access for at least an additional avenue to 26th Street.
On September 19, 2007 began the implementation of Milestone 1 of the plan for modernization and expansion of the airport. This consists of expanding the current Central Arrivals Hall of the terminal and installation of CUTE system at the terminal. This was completed in March 2008. Additionally, the construction of the new cargo terminal, a new building for the office of civil aviation, a new fire station, an administrative center and quarantine. All of the above was completed in September 2009.
The third milestone of the project began in late November 2009. This is Terminal 2, on the north side of the current terminal. This will require the demolition of the domestic cargo terminal, which will start in the new cargo buildings. Is expected to be completed in 2012, when the old terminal will be demolished to build a larger terminal. The new El Dorado International Airport will undoubtedly be the largest infrastructure project in the city, when completed in the Summer of 2014,[13] will be the largest and most modern airport in Latin America.