Enrique Malek International Airport

Enrique Malek International Airport Aeropuerto Internacional Enrique Malek
IATA: DAV – ICAO: MPDA
Summary
Airport type	Public
Owner	Tocumen S.A.
Operator	Tocumen S.A.
Location	David, Chiriquí
Focus city for	Air Panama
Elevation AMSL	27 m / 89 ft
Coordinates
Map
MPDA Location within Chiriqui
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 04/22 2,600 8,530 Asphalt
Source: DAFIF

Enrique Malek International Airport (IATA: DAV, ICAO: MPDA) (Spanish: Aeropuerto Internacional Enrique Malek) is an international airport located in the city of David, Chiriquí in the Republic of Panama. The former terminal was demolished for a new one to be built. When construction had finished, daily flights from Air Panama started arriving. Now the international flight terminal receives numerous daily flights from Copa Airlines and Air Panama. Also car rentals commenced operations in the new terminal.

History

Known as David Field or San Jose Field during World War II, the airport was an auxiliary of Howard Field. It accommodated a variety of United States Army Air Forces personnel, dedicated for the most part in training and reconnaissance missions over the Southeast Pacific coastline, from Honduras in the north, to Peru in the south as part of the defense of the Panama Canal. Enrique Malek International Airport was first built in 1941 as part of an agreement between the U.S and Panama.

Wartime units assigned to the airfield were:

• 397th Bombardment Squadron (6th Bombardment Group), 11 December 1941 – 18 August 1942 (B-18 Bolo, B-17 Flying Fortress)
• 45th Bombardment Squadron (40th Bombardment Group), 13 November 1942 – 18 February 1943 (LB-30 (B-24A) Liberator)
• 3d Bombardment Squadron (VI Bomber Command), 12 March – 1 April 1943; 11 June 1943 – 6 April 1944; 8 December 1944 – 28 October 1945 (B-17 Flying Fortress)

Aftermath

After the conflict, the field was renewed and modernized to improve its facilities and is now used for international flights. At present, the airport, now under the name of Enrique Malek International Airport is serving the Chiriquí Province province as a civil airport, is the second largest international airport in Panama.

During heavy travel times, the airport registers 900 operations monthly, serving approximately 20,000 passengers from Mexico, the United States, Canada and Central America.

The airport ramp and fueling facilities where expanded between 2008 and 2009.

An estimated US$12,000,000.00 improvement fund has been passed by the Panamanian legislature that will include runway expansion. This runway expansion project allows for heavy aircraft. Additionally the DAV perimeter fencing, first responders, hospitals, security, baggage claim, and terminal facilities are all included in the pending expansion.

In early 2009, the Chiriqui regional director for the Authority of Civil Aeronautics (AAC), Inés de Esquivel, informed La Estrella: "...in the last five years, $1.5 million in investments have been made for the improvement of various areas at the Enrique Malek airport."

In October 2009, a campaign for Direct flights between DAV (David) and the USA was relaunched and statistics are being kept of passengers interested in travel along this future route.DAV Direct Blog

Airlines and destinations

Airlines	Destinations
Air Panama	Panama City-Albrook, San Jose (CR)
Copa Airlines	Panama City

Car Rental Agencies

• Dollar Rent A Car
• Thrifty
• National Car Rental
• Avis
• Hertz
• Budget Car Rental
• Arrendadora Económica
• Sixt
• Alamo
• Payless Car Rental
• Europcar

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.