If you are a traveler with experience, then the process of preparation and charges for the road you, most likely, is debugged as a clock. Planning an approximate schedule for your trip to Colombia , you clearly understand that you need to spend as much time as possible on the road and all the activities combined with it. Therefore, when choosing for the local flights the airport of Palmyra, you will be absolutely right. After all, in comparison not only with the metropolitan, but also with the runways of other cities, it has a number of advantages.
Description of the airport of Palmyra
A commercial airport of international level is built in the suburbs of the village of Palmyra . Therefore, many tourists and locals call it simply: Palmyra airport. Officially the airport bears the name of journalist and public figure Alfonso Bonia Aragon, but is also known as Palmasaca International Airport. It is located territorially in the Colombian department of Valle del Cauca.
The task of the Palmyra airport is the servicing of civil international and local air transportation of the cities of Palmyra, Kali and other settlements of the department. Palmasaca International Airport is a good alternative to the airport of El Dorado in the capital of Colombia, Bogotá. The air port is on the third place among all commercial airports in Colombia : according to statistics for 2010 through Palmira passed 3,422,919 passengers.
The official opening of the airport took place on July 24, 1971. Currently, the airport of Palmyra has the status of a reserve for El Dorado.
Characteristics of Palmyra Airport
The international airport is located at 964 m above sea level in a long valley, which is completely surrounded by mountains. The geographical extent of the airport is from the north to the south. This is a strategically exact place, where many routes of two American continents are connected. Before Miami you will reach about 3 hours, to Chile - for 5 hours, and to Ecuador - in only 50 minutes.
Airport Palmyra has a single runway, the length of which is exactly 3 km. Coverage of the strip is completely asphalt, it has all the necessary certificates for the reception of any civil aircraft and even Boeing 747. Throughout the length of the system, modern radar systems are installed.
Unlike other commercial airports in Colombia, Palmasaca International Airport is almost the only one operating 24 hours a day and without environmental restrictions. Palmira Airport receives daily flights from the USA, Panama , Ecuador, Peru and Spain.
There are two terminals operating at the airport: No. 1 for international flights and No. 2 for domestic flights. In addition to passenger transportation, commercial goods and luggage are delivered.
A sad page of history
For all the time of the existence of the Palmyra airport there have been three sad events:
- On January 21, 1974, the terrorists seized the British airliner Vickers Viscount and drove him to the Colombian city of Cali .
- On May 3, 1983, on a military transport aircraft Douglas C-47B was heavily damaged, and then was decommissioned.
- On December 20, 1995, a Boeing 757 with a 965 flight departed from Miami International Airport, but crashed in the mountains when trying to make the first landing. The commission recognized the error of the crew. As a result of the tragedy, 155 of the 159 people who were on board died.
How to get to the airport of Palmyra?
The easiest way to see Palmyra Airport from the inside is to fly to Colombia. If you are already in this country, then keep in mind that from the cities of Kali and Palmyra with the airport there is a regular bus service. There is also a transfer service and a taxi.
In case you are traveling around the country by car, then from highway Nos. 19,23 and 31 you get to the 25 highway, which will take you to the airport terminals.