Palonegro International Airport - History

History

Palonegro International Airport (www.aeropuertopalonegro.com ), located in the Municipality of Lebrija, marked a new stage of progress for the Department of Santander and its capital, the city of Bucaramanga. The magnificent work was directed by the Administrative Department of Civil Aviation, who also were responsible for the construction of new airports and Pitalito Monteria and remodeling in Leticia and Eldorado in this period.

The modern facility that was opened by the President Misael Pastrana in August 1974 just before leaving office, they replaced the old airport "Gomez Niño". The inaugural flight took place on a Boeing 727 Avianca Company, commanded by Captain Alvaro Barrera Gómez.

Gómez Niño Airport, located within the urban area of Bucaramanga was for 25 years who attended the air traffic in the city with significant limitations, given their geographical location and its adverse conditions for security and air navigation. In fact, there were several fatal air accidents brought mourning to the city and country. The old airport, located in the current Ciudadela Real de Minas, was built by the company Scadta in late 1938, when operations began in Junkers F-13 aircraft in its wheels. Child Gómez Airport was purchased by Empresa Colombiana de Aerodrome in 1954 and was one of the few airports in Colombia that operated two runways simultaneously, built in a configuration of X, which allowed their use depending on the prevailing winds. Aerotaxi Avianca and had a great hub and other airlines such as Taxader, had its headquarters at the airport.

Palonegro The site was the historic setting of political strife and the battle of the same name, which took place on 25 May 1900, during the War of the Thousand Days. The land where existing facilities are located and the track was formed by a series of no less than seven hills of considerable height and six canyons with depths exceeding 60 meters.

That is why it was necessary to move at least 14 million cubic meters of earth in successful operation and a great engineering work that began in 1969. The location of the airport has an elevation of 1190 meters relative to sea level and an average temperature of 21 degrees Celsius, and distant 18 kilometers from Bucaramanga on the main road that passes through the historic town of Giron. The asphalt runway is 2170 meters long and 45 meters wide with a buffer zone of 48 meters on each side of the track, following the recommendations of ICAO and the FAA for the operation of jet aircraft.

Its airport facilities were designed to successfully address the traffic of aircraft and the growth of passenger and cargo flow projected until 1990 and thereafter, it was envisaged the construction of a taxiing runway parallel to the original runway, the which was actually built years later, along with the facilities, apron and hangars to serve general aviation.