Corvo Airport

Corvo Airport
Corvo Airport
Aeródromo de Corvo
Azoren Corvo Vila Nova.jpg
The aerodrome on the island of Corvo, showing its place on the edge of the coast
IATA: CVU – ICAO: LPCR
CVU is located in Azores
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CVU
Location of airport in Azores
Summary
Airport type Public
Owner Azores
Operator SATA Aeródromes
Serves Vila do Corvo
Location Vila do Corvo
Elevation AMSL 62 ft / 19 m
Coordinates 39°40′19″N 31°06′59″W / 39.67194°N 31.11639°W / 39.67194; -31.11639
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
11/29 2,625 800 Asphalt
Statistics (2009)
Passengers 3,839
Movements 470
Statistics: SATA Aeródromes

Corvo Airport (Portuguese: Aérodromo do Corvo) is an airport on the island of Corvo, in the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores (IATA: CVU, ICAO: LPCR). It is owned by the Regional Government of the Azores, but managed by SATA Air Açores.

Contents

History

The wing of an old SATA Air Açores Dornier Do.228 (out of service since fleet modernization), after departure from Corvo Aerodrome

Constituted on 12 January 2005, SATA Gestão de Aeródromos (SATA Aerodrome Management) was established to operate the smaller airports on the islands of Pico, Graciosa, Corvo and São Jorge. The Regional Government of the Azores, after a public tender, provided SATA Aeródromos with the concession of public services for Corvo for a period of 10 years, in a contract signed on 1 July 2005.[1]

In 2009, with the addition of new De Havilland Dash 8-Q200 to the SATA Air Açores fleet, to replace the existing Dornier Do 228, there was a comparable increase in passenger traffic to the island (primarily from the move to 37-seat from 18-seat capacity aircraft).[2] Regardless, the airport accounted for a 1.3% increase in traffic in that year, on an island that only accounts for 3% of the passenger traffic handled by SATA Aeródrome.[2] While there were decreases in the amount of cargo transported at other airports, the addition of new aircraft caused a 45% increase in cargo traffic from Corvo.[3] This was also the year that the runway was repaved to accommodate the new aircraft at a cost of 190,000 Euros.[4]

Geography

The Corvo aerodrome is located on the island of Corvo, one of the two volcanically stable islands that lie west of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, in the archipelago of the Azores.[5] But, located in the extreme north-western end of the group, it is exposed to the elements and susceptible to terrible weather throughout the year.[5] Corvo is the last to be assisted by the Azores High, and first to lose this protection at the end of the season: it is plagued by storms and anticyclones throughout the year, making flying conditions difficult.[5]

The airport is situated on the southern coast of the island, at least 50 metres from the water's edge, flanking the southern limit of Vila do Corvo. The runway extends 800 metres (2,625 ft) along the isthmus, from the western beach of Praia da Areia to the rocky outcroppings of Ponta Negra on the eastern shore. The airport is surrounded both by hedged fields and buildings, including the Porto da Casa (main port).

Airlines and destinations

Airlines Destinations
SATA Air Açores Flores Island, Horta

See also

Aviation in the Azores

References

Notes
  1. ^ SATA Aeródrome (2009), p.42
  2. ^ a b SATA Aeródrome (2009), p.25
  3. ^ SATA Aeródrome (2009), p.26
  4. ^ SATA Aeródrome (2009), p.30
  5. ^ a b c Norman Herz (2004), p.12
Sources
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