Ushuaia International Airport
Encyclopedia
Ushuaia International Airport is located 4 km (2.5 mi) south of the center of Ushuaia
, a city on the island of Tierra del Fuego
in the Tierra del Fuego Province
of Argentina
. The Airport is officially claimed by Argentina
as the airport for the disputed Falkland Islands
.
This small international airport was opened in 1995, replacing an older one. The airport has been used by various distinct airlines at different periods. It is the world's southernmost international airport and is often used by passengers as a cruise-ship gateway to the Antarctic
.
Ushuaia International Airport is fit to receive airplanes as large as the Boeing 747
. Tower Air
used to operate such types into the airport, and Aerolíneas Argentinas
operates 747-400s into the airport during events of high passenger numbers (such as entire cruise-ship passenger payloads). Two chartered Air France Concorde
s also visited in the past: F-BTSD arriving from Buenos Aires and continuing to Santiago, Chile, in early 1999; the second arriving from Easter Island
, Chile and continuing to Buenos Aires prior to the cessation of most Concorde charter flights on July 25, 2000. Condor and LTU
also offered charter flights from Berlin, Germany, and First Choice Airways
from the United Kingdom. It also offers charter flights to Maputo, Mozambique.
The airport's name reflects Argentina's claims of sovereignty over the Falkland Islands
(Islas Malvinas in Spanish), and could be translated as "Ushuaia – Argentine Falklands International Airport".
Ushuaia
Ushuaia may refer to the following:*Ushuaia, a city in Argentina.**Ushuaia Department, an administrative division**Ushuaia River**Ushuaia International Airport**Colegio Nacional de Ushuaia, National School of Ushuaia....
, a city on the island of Tierra del Fuego
Tierra del Fuego
Tierra del Fuego is an archipelago off the southernmost tip of the South American mainland, across the Strait of Magellan. The archipelago consists of a main island Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego divided between Chile and Argentina with an area of , and a group of smaller islands including Cape...
in the Tierra del Fuego Province
Tierra del Fuego Province (Argentina)
Tierra del Fuego is an Argentine province entirely separated from mainland Argentina by the Strait of Magellan. It includes:* The eastern part of the Isla Grande of Tierra del Fuego archipelago and the Staten Island.* Argentina's claims to the Falkland Islands and to...
of Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
. The Airport is officially claimed by Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
as the airport for the disputed Falkland Islands
Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...
.
This small international airport was opened in 1995, replacing an older one. The airport has been used by various distinct airlines at different periods. It is the world's southernmost international airport and is often used by passengers as a cruise-ship gateway to the Antarctic
Antarctic
The Antarctic is the region around the Earth's South Pole, opposite the Arctic region around the North Pole. The Antarctic comprises the continent of Antarctica and the ice shelves, waters and island territories in the Southern Ocean situated south of the Antarctic Convergence...
.
Ushuaia International Airport is fit to receive airplanes as large as the Boeing 747
Boeing 747
The Boeing 747 is a wide-body commercial airliner and cargo transport, often referred to by its original nickname, Jumbo Jet, or Queen of the Skies. It is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first wide-body ever produced...
. Tower Air
Tower Air
Tower Air was a certificated FAR 121 schedule and charter U.S. airline that operated from 1983 until 2000, when the company declared bankruptcy and was liquidated. Scheduled flights were initially offered over a New York - Brussels - Tel Aviv route in addition to charter flights to Athens,...
used to operate such types into the airport, and Aerolíneas Argentinas
Aerolíneas Argentinas
Aerolíneas Argentinas , formally Aerolíneas Argentinas S.A., is Argentina's largest airline and serves as the country's flag carrier. Owned in its majority by the Argentine Government, the airline is headquartered in the Torre Bouchard, located in San Nicolás, Buenos Aires...
operates 747-400s into the airport during events of high passenger numbers (such as entire cruise-ship passenger payloads). Two chartered Air France Concorde
Concorde
Aérospatiale-BAC Concorde was a turbojet-powered supersonic passenger airliner, a supersonic transport . It was a product of an Anglo-French government treaty, combining the manufacturing efforts of Aérospatiale and the British Aircraft Corporation...
s also visited in the past: F-BTSD arriving from Buenos Aires and continuing to Santiago, Chile, in early 1999; the second arriving from Easter Island
Easter Island
Easter Island is a Polynesian island in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, at the southeasternmost point of the Polynesian triangle. A special territory of Chile that was annexed in 1888, Easter Island is famous for its 887 extant monumental statues, called moai, created by the early Rapanui people...
, Chile and continuing to Buenos Aires prior to the cessation of most Concorde charter flights on July 25, 2000. Condor and LTU
LTU International
LTU Lufttransport-Unternehmen GmbH was an airline based in Düsseldorf, Germany, now fully owned by Air Berlin. The initials stand for the German phrase LuftTransport-Unternehmen . It operated scheduled services on medium and long-haul routes, as well as charter services...
also offered charter flights from Berlin, Germany, and First Choice Airways
First Choice Airways
First Choice Airways was a British charter airline of European tour operator TUI Travel PLC, based in Crawley, England. It flew to more than 60 destinations worldwide from 14 UK and Irish airports. 70% of the airline's services were operated for its parent company, rising to 85% in the summer...
from the United Kingdom. It also offers charter flights to Maputo, Mozambique.
The airport's name reflects Argentina's claims of sovereignty over the Falkland Islands
Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...
(Islas Malvinas in Spanish), and could be translated as "Ushuaia – Argentine Falklands International Airport".