La Gomera Airport

La Gomera Airport
La Gomera Airport ODB
IATA: GMZ – ICAO: GCGM
Summary
Airport type Public
Operator Aena
Location Playa Santiago
Elevation AMSL 218 m / 716 ft
Coordinates 28°01′47″N 017°12′53″W / 28.02972°N 17.21472°W / 28.02972; -17.21472
Map
GMZ

Location of airport in Canary Islands

Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
09/27 1,500 4,921 Asphalt
Source: Spanish AIP at EUROCONTROL[1]

La Gomera Airport (IATA: GMZ, ICAO: GCGM) is an airport located near the town of Playa Santiago on the island of La Gomera in the Canary Islands, 34 km (21 mi) southwest[1] by road from the island's capital city, San Sebastián de la Gomera.

Although the runway was completed in 1994, the terminal did not open until 1999. There are two return flights per day, to Tenerife North.[2]

Although 34 km (21 mi) from the island capital, the airport was located here to avoid disturbing the Garajonay National Park and avoid the cloudier and foggier climate to the North of the island, whilst the volcanic terrain gives few suitable sites anywhere on La Gomera, although even this site required extensive embankments at both ends of the runway.

History

Aviation in the island of La Gomera started in the 1950s, when a private airfield was constructed. Its name was "El Revolcadero" and it was situated in Tecina.[3] This airfield had a runway (09-27), an hangar and a small stand which was used as control tower. The airfield was for the owner's private use and for emergencies and fumigation works.

In the year 1962, the island had a lot of sanitary assistance problems, so studies to build an airport in the island were started, but this project was not carried out until 1975. However, due to the opening of the Tenerife South Airport and a new maritime line with the island, the project was again delayed.

Finally, in the 1980s, problems with wounded snake-bite evacuations necessitated building an airport in the island, and on 27 July 1987 an agreement for the construction of the airport was signed.[4]

At the end of 1997, all is ready to begin with the works and, at the end of 1994 the airfield had a runway (09-27), an aircraft parking and a taxi way to the runway. The elected place to build the installations was the "Meseta de los Acantilados" (Plateau Cliffs), which is located 2 kilometers from the old airfield of "El Revolcadero".

At the end of 1995, when Aeropuertos Españoles y Navegación Aérea (AENA), literally "Spanish Airports and Air Navigation", took over the airport, a passenger terminal was built, which was inaugurated in 1992. This passenger terminal has two floors and we can see in it the typical canarian architecture.

Airlines and destinations

AirlinesDestinations
Binter Canarias Tenerife–North

Statistics

In the next chart, the evolution of passengers traffic by year is indicated.[5]

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
30,774 34,496 38,852 40,569 41,890 34,605 32,252 32,713 19,707 24,469 28,897

References

  1. 1 2 EAD Basic
  2. ↑ "Airport destinations - La Gomera Airport". Aena. Retrieved 2012-01-01.
  3. ↑ "History - La Gomera Airport". Aena. Retrieved 2014-01-15.
  4. ↑ "BOLETÍN OFICIAL DE CANARIAS. 361 - RESOLUCION de 13 de febrero de 1991, de la Secretaría General Técnica, por la que se dispone la publicación del Convenio de 11 de enero de 1991, entre la Administración del Estado y el Gobierno de Canarias para la financiación, gestión y seguimiento de las obras de infraestructura del aeropuerto de La Gomera (B.O.E. nº 64, de 15.3.91)" (PDF). Gobierno de Canarias. Retrieved 2014-01-15.
  5. ↑ "Evolution of passenger traffic". Aena. Retrieved 2014-01-15.
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