La Aurora International Airport

Infobox Airport
name = La Aurora International Airport
nativename = Aeropuerto Internacional La Aurora
nativename-a =
nativename-r =

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|thumb|right|300px
caption = Airport's exterior.
IATA = GUA
ICAO = MGGT
type = Joint
owner = Ministerio de Comunicaciones, Infraestructura y Vivienda
operator = Dirección General de Aeronautica Civil
city-served = Guatemala City
location = Guatemala City, Guatemala
elevation-f = 4,952
elevation-m = 1,509
coordinates = coord|14|34|59|N|90|31|38|W|type:airport
website =
metric-elev = yes
metric-rwy = yes
r1-number = 01/19
r1-length-f = 9,800
r1-length-m = 3,000
r1-surface = Asphalt
stat-year =
stat1-header =
stat1-data =
stat2-header =
stat2-data =
footnotes = Currently under renovations

La Aurora International Airport Airport codes|GUA|MGGT serves Guatemala City, Guatemala. It is located 6km south of Guatemala City's center and 25km from Antigua. It is administered by the "Direccion General de Aeronautica Civil".

La Aurora International Airport is going through massive modernization and expansion works. The airport will be able to accept a greater number of flights and larger aircraft. It will provide high standard installations to the traveller. The old terminal has been renovated in accordance with its original design. It has been partly demolished and is now being expanded by a new glass-designed concourse in the north, able to attend up to twenty-two aircraft. The greater part of the project has been completed in December 2007, and all airlines currently operate from the newly built northern concourse. The removal of the former gates 1-7 made room for the central concourse for widebody aircraft (currently under construction).

On June 2007 the airport was certified as Category I by the FAA. [http://www.elperiodico.com.gt/es/20070612/actualidad/40582/]

Infrastructure and News

La Aurora is being renovated, along with other airports in Guatemala, such as Mundo Maya International Airport, Quetzaltenango Airport, Puerto Barrios Airport, and San José Airport.

Seven new gates were opened in July 2007 equipped with jetway bridges and modern installations. Also, a new parking garage was opened which is capable of handling 500 vehicles. New ticket counters were built. Eleven more gates were opened in December 2007. The airport will have two concourses: the northern concourse with 12 gates and the central concourse (used for larger aircraft) with four gates or six gates for small planes.

Car rental is provided by four companies: Avis, Budget, Hertz and National. There are money exchange offices, bars, restaurants and shops. Shopping at the airport is particularly good, with plenty of local crafts in offer as well as a wide variety of duty-free stores. Other facilities include information kiosks, post office and pharmacy, as well as hotel and tourist reservations. The airport levies a departure tax of US$3 (security tax), or Q20.00 Guatemalan quetzales on all travelers.

The runway of the airport currently measures 3,000 meters. There have been efforts in the past to expand it but it has been impossible since there's a commercial area in the north side, and a small ravine near the southern side.

Airlines and destinations

Main Terminal Building

North Concourse

* American Airlines (Dallas/Fort Worth, Miami)
* Continental Airlines (Houston-Intercontinental, Newark)
* Copa Airlines (Panama City, Managua, San José (CR))
* Cubana de Aviación (Havana)
* Delta Airlines (Atlanta, Los Angeles [resumes December 6, 2008] )
* Iberia (Madrid, Panama City)
* Mexicana (Mexico City, San José (CR), Panama City)
* TACA (Cancún, Chicago-O'Hare, Flores, Lima, Los Angeles, Managua [starts November 16, 2008] [http://www.diariolasamericas.com/news.php?nid=60534] , Mexico City, Miami, New York-JFK [resumes November 18, 2008] , San José (CR), San Pedro Sula, San Salvador, Tegucigalpa, Washington-Dulles)
* Spirit Airlines (Ft. Lauderdale)

Central Concourse

The Central Concourse is a new expansion to the airport that is currently under construction. Once finished Iberia will operate from this terminal. The terminal also hopes to attract more intercontinental routes.

Private Hangars

* Air Venture Tours (charters)
* Aviones Comerciales de Guatemala (Avcom) (charters)
* RACSA (charters)
* Transportes Aereos Guatemaltecos (Flores, Copán, Quetzaltenango, Puerto Barrios, San Jose, Retalhuleu) [ [http://www.tag.com.gt/espanol/vuelos_regulares.htm Transportes Aereos Guatemaltecos ] ]

New airlines and new routes

* Copa Airlines announced two more routes to Panama for December 2008 [http://www.prensalibre.com/pl/2008/septiembre/30/267052.html] , increasing their flights from 35 to 49 weekly flights. Copa is also waiting for the approval to open a Presidents Club.
* Grupo Taca announced a new route to Managua beginning November 16, 2008, the routes will be with a daily flight using the Embraer 190 Taca's new jet in service, it is expected that Taca will make flight also to Venezuela because already received government approval to start the flights.
* Delta Airlines will resume their Services to Los Angeles beginning December 6, 2008.

Cargo airlines

* ABX Air (Ohio)
* Aero Ruta Maya (Tikal, Copán, Palenque, Quirigua, Roatan)
* AeroSucre (Bogotá)
* Amerijet International (Miami)
* Arrow Air (Miami)
* Copa Airlines Cargo (Panama City)
* Cielos Airlines (Lima)
* DHL (San José (CR), Mexico City, Miami, Panama City, San Salvador, San Pedro Sula, Tegucigalpa)
** DHL De Guatemala ((San José (CR), Mexico City, Panama City, San Salvador, San Pedro Sula, Tegucigalpa)
* FEDEX (Memphis)
* Florida West International Airways (Miami)
* LAN Cargo (Miami)
* Martinair Cargo (Miami, Amsterdam)
* MasAir (Mexico City)
* TACA CARGO (Lima)
* Transportes Aereos Guatemaltecos CARGO (San Pedro Sula, Tegucigalpa, San Salvador)
* UPS (Atlanta)

Radio Frequencies

References

* [http://www.dgac.gob.gt/ Dirección General de Aeronáutica Civil]
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