Pinto Martins – Fortaleza International Airport
| Pinto Martins – Fortaleza International Airport Aeroporto Internacional Pinto Martins – Fortaleza | |||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Public/Military | ||||||||||
| Operator |
Infraero until 2018 & Fraport since 2017 | ||||||||||
| Serves | Fortaleza | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 25 m / 82 ft | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 03°46′33″S 038°31′56″W / 3.77583°S 38.53222°WCoordinates: 03°46′33″S 038°31′56″W / 3.77583°S 38.53222°W | ||||||||||
| Website | Fraport FOR | ||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||
  FOR Location in Brazil | |||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||
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| Statistics (2016) | |||||||||||
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Pinto Martins – Fortaleza International Airport (IATA: FOR, ICAO: SBFZ) is the airport serving Fortaleza, Brazil. It is named after Euclides Pinto Martins (1892–1924) a Ceará-born aviator, who in 1922 was one of the pioneers of the air-link between New York City and Rio de Janeiro. Some of its facilities are shared with the Fortaleza Air Force Base of the Brazilian Air Force.
History
The airport has its origins on a runway built in the 1930s and which was used by the Ceará Flying School until 2000.
During World War II, the airport was an important allied base supporting Southern Atlantic operations.
On May 13, 1952 the original name, Cocorote Airport, was changed to its present name. In 1966 a passenger terminal and apron were built. Those facilities are now used by general aviation operations.
Since January 7, 1974 the airport is operated by Infraero and in 1997 it was upgraded to international category.
In February 1998 a new passenger terminal was opened in south area. On August 31, 2009, Infraero unveiled a BRL 525 million (USD 276.6 million, EUR 193.8 million) investment plan to upgrade the International Airport focusing on the preparations for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, which was held in Brazil, Fortaleza being one of the venue cities. The investment was distributed in the renovation and enlargement of passenger terminal, apron, and parking with completion due in November 2013, however after abandoned. Just a provisory Tent was made.[4]
On March 2017, airport was sold to Fraport AG for 30 years' use, in which since 2018 administrates entirely the airport in its operations. The contract signed on July 28, 2017 says to renovate and conclude the Infraero investments for the passengers' terminal and elongation of the unique runway.
As of the year 2017, its area is 5.9 km².
Airlines and destinations
Passenger
Cargo
| Airline |
| ABSA Cargo |
| Total Cargo |
| COLT Cargo |
| Sideral Air Cargo |
Abandoned Aircraft
Since years, there are 9 abandoned aircraft, among them B727 of TAF, B737 of TAF and ATA Brasil, a Piper and a 1968 Embraer EMB110 Bandeirante P1 with those Registrations : PT-MTA, PT-MTB, PT-MTC, PT-MTF, PT-SCY, PT-WTH, PR-LSW, PR-MTD & PR-MTH.
The B737-200 9Q-CGJ and former PT-MTA TAF was sold to the Congolese GTRA Airways company, but never left the airport.
Another famous one was the "Landshut hijacking" episode aircraft PT-MTB while flying for Lufthansa in 1977. Some Germans had intention to transfer the rest of airplane to Germany as stand museum attraction.
The 1968 Embraer EMB110 Bandeirante P1 PT-SCY of FUNCEME is due high cost of mantainance, since 2011 just abandoned. It was used during semiarid history, meteorological research, clouds studies, artificial rains, rainfall culture in the Northeast, a work conducted in the 70's and 80's years highlighted. Government of Ceará acquired the airplane for resale of used aircraft parts. Two others were discarded and the latter delivered to the State University of Ceará – Uece. In Ceará there are three such types of private commercial aircraft. In 1991, when Embraer suspended its manufacturing, it had built 498 units. The disposal of the device is due to the technical condition of the airplane, which has been stopped and maintained for more than four years. The cost to leave it in conditions of flight, according to the norms of the civil airplane, is "high".[5]
Accidents and incidents
- June 8, 1982: a VASP Boeing 727–212 registration PP-SRK operating flight 168 from Rio de Janeiro-Galeão to Fortaleza collided with a mountain while on approach to Fortaleza. The captain descended below a minimum descent altitude. All 137 passengers and crew died.[6][7]
- October 21, 1998: an Embraer EMB-120 Brasilia, registration PT-WKH, crashed on short finals to runway 13. The aircraft was arriving from Teresina, carrying medical supplies. Three people on board and one woman on the ground were killed.
Access
The airport is located 11 km (7 mi) south of downtown Fortaleza.
See also
References
- ↑ "Estatísticas" (in Portuguese). Infraero. Retrieved April 23, 2017.
- ↑ "Airport Official Website" (in Portuguese). Infraero.
- ↑ "Lista de aeródromos públicos" (in Portuguese). ANAC.
- ↑ Rittner, Daniel; Braga, Paulo Victor (August 31, 2009). "Infraero vai gastar R$5 bi em reforma de aeroportos". Valor Econômico (in Portuguese). pp. A4.
- ↑ "Avião 'das chuvas' no Ceará será servido em sucata aérea (in Portuguese)". AgroValor (in Portuguese). February 2, 2016.
- ↑ "Accident description PP-SRK". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved August 12, 2011.
- ↑ Germano da Silva, Carlos Ari César (2008). "VASP 168". O rastro da bruxa: história da aviação comercial brasileira no século XX através dos seus acidentes 1928–1996 (in Portuguese) (2 ed.). Porto Alegre: EDIPUCRS. pp. 318–326. ISBN 978-85-7430-760-2.
External links
- Airport information for SBFZ at World Aero Data. Data current as of October 2006.Source: DAFIF.
- Airport information for SBFZ at Great Circle Mapper. Source: DAFIF (effective October 2006).
- Current weather for SBFZ at NOAA/NWS
- Accident history for FOR at Aviation Safety Network
- Pinto Martins International Airport Photo Archive at airliners.net
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