La Gomera Airport

La Gomera Airport (Spanish: Aeropuerto de La Gomera) (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.

La Gomera Airport

Aeropuerto de La Gomera
Summary
Airport typePublic
OperatorAena
LocationPlaya Santiago
Elevation AMSL218 m / 716 ft
Coordinates28°01′47″N 017°12′53″W
Map
GMZ
Location of airport in Canary Islands
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
09/27 1,500 4,921 Asphalt
Statistics (2018)
Passengers61,944
Passengers change 17-1827.2%
Movements2,652
Movements change43.0%
Cargo (t)2
Source: Spanish AIP at EUROCONTROL,[1] Aena[2][3]

Although the runway was completed in 1994, the terminal did not open until 1999. As of August 2019, there are two return flights per day to Tenerife North and two return flights per day to Gran Canaria.[4]

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.[5] 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 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.[6]

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 1991, 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 Gran Canaria, Tenerife–North

Statistics

In the next chart, the evolution of passengers traffic by year is indicated.[7]

200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018
30,77434,49638,85240,56941,89034,60532,25232,71319,70724,44628,95434,95438,04248,71161,944

References
  1. EAD Basic
  3. [AENA]
  4. "Routes La Gomera". Flightradar24. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  5. "History - La Gomera Airport". Aena. Retrieved 15 January 2014.
  6. "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 15 January 2014.
  7. "Evolution of passenger traffic". Aena. Retrieved 15 January 2014.
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