Juan Gualberto Gómez Airport

Juan Gualberto Gómez Airport Aeropuerto Juan Gualberto Gómez
250px
IATA: VRA – ICAO: MUVR
Summary
Airport type	Public
Operator	ECASA S.A.
Location	Varadero
Elevation AMSL	64 m / 210 ft
Coordinates
Website	varadero-airport.com
Map
MUVR Location in Cuba
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 06/24 3,502 11,490 Asphalt
Statistics (2009)
Number of Passengers 1,275,000
Source: Aerodrome chart

Juan Gualberto Gómez Airport (IATA: VRA, ICAO: MUVR), formerly known as Varadero Airport (Spanish: Aeropuerto de Varadero), is an international airport serving Varadero, Cuba and the province of Matanzas. The airport is located closer to the city of Matanzas than to Varadero. The closest airport to Varadero is Kawama Airport. In 2009, the airport handled 1.28 million passengers, making it the second busiest airport in Cuba after José Martí International Airport in Havana.

Overview

Juan Gualberto Gomez Airport was built in 1989 and inaugurated by Fidel Castro, thus replacing the old Varadero airport located in Santa Marta, currently known as Kawama Airport. The airport was named after a journalist, fighter for the Cuban Independence and black rights activist in Cuba Juan Gualberto Gómez (1854–1933).

The terminal building has shops for tourists (including rum, cigars, T-shirts, books, carvings, pharmaceuticals), a large departures lounge cafeterias and a VIP lounge. A VIP card is available by paying $30/person to the local tour company representative. This allows the departing passenger to bypass the queues for check-in, have an agent take your departure tax to the correct official for you, and bypass any lines for passport control. The passenger is then taken to the VIP lounge which provides free food and drink (including alcoholic beverages). The ground handling equipment is imported mainly from North America. There are four jet bridges, but air stairs are used for the remaining aircraft parking spaces on the apron by the terminal.

Airlines and destinations

Airlines	Destinations
Air Berlin	Düsseldorf Seasonal: Berlin-Tegel, Munich (ends April 30, 2016)
Air Canada	Seasonal: Halifax, Ottawa
Air Canada Rouge	Calgary, Montréal–Trudeau, Toronto–Pearson
Air Transat	Montréal–Trudeau Seasonal: Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax, Hamilton, London (ON), Ottawa, Québec City, Regina, Saskatoon, St. John's, Toronto–Pearson, Vancouver, Winnipeg
Condor	Seasonal: Frankfurt, Munich, Vienna
Cubana de Aviación	Buenos Aires–Ezeiza, Montréal–Trudeau, Santiago de Cuba, Toronto–Pearson
Eurowings operated by SunExpress Deutschland	Cologne/Bonn
Interjet	Mexico City
Jetairfly	Brussels
LOT Polish Airlines	Charter: Warsaw–Chopin
Neos	Seasonal charter: Milan-Malpensa
Nordwind Airlines	Charter: Moscow–Sheremetyevo
Servicios Aéreos Profesionales	Punta Cana
Sunwing Airlines	Montréal–Trudeau, Ottawa, Saskatoon, Toronto-Pearson Seasonal: Edmonton, Fredericton, Hamilton, Kelowna, London (ON),Windsor, North Bay, Québec City, Saint John, Sault Ste. Marie, Thunder Bay, Winnipeg
Thomas Cook Airlines	Manchester (UK) Seasonal: Belfast–International
Thomson Airways	London–Gatwick (begins May 5, 2016)
TUI Airlines Netherlands	Amsterdam
WestJet	Toronto–Pearson Seasonal: Calgary, London (ON), Montréal–Trudeau
White Airways	Seasonal charter: Lisbon

Incidents

There have been five significant incidents involving aircraft from or en route to the airport since the 1950s. Only 1 flight involved resulted in fatalities. Three flights involved Cubans hijacking an aircraft to flee to the United States.

• March 6, 2005 - Air Transat Flight 961 Airbus A310 returned safely to airport following detachment of rudder after take off.
• December 29, 1992 - Aerocaribbean Antonov 26 was hijacked en route to Varadero Airport from Havana. The aircraft landed in Miami.

Incidents in the old Varadero (Santa Marta) Airport:

• July 3, 1961 - Cubana de Aviación Douglas DC-3 was hijacked en route to Varadero Airport from Havana. Aircraft lands in Miami.
• April 25, 1959 - Cubana de Aviación Vickers Viscount was hijacked after takeoff from the Varadero Airport and forced to land at Key West International Airport.
• November 1, 1958 - Cubana de Aviación Flight 495 Vickers Viscount 755D crashes in Nipe Bay when attempting an emergency landing at Preston Airport. Plane was en route to Varadero from Miami with 20 on board. Only 3 survived with 17 fatalities.

External links

Media related to at Wikimedia Commons

• Cubana destinations and airports