History
On January 22, 1942, the Government of Nicaragua and Pan American Airways signed a contract to construct an airport under the name of Las Mercedes Airport. After the construction was finished the airport was inaugurated on July 4, 1968 by Anastasio Somoza Debayle. Las Mercedes Airport was designed to be able to be used by Boeing 707 aircraft.
In the early 1970s, Las Mercedes was expanded to more modern standards, such as four health inspectors, eight immigration officers and ten customs inspectors. It was considered fully equipped, having air conditioning, background music, loudspeakers and conveyor belts for baggage handling. It also had a restaurant on its upper floor where visitors and travelers could see airport movement.
This expanded airport could serve three aircraft at once, and by 1975, Pan Am and Iberia, Lanica Airlines, the Airline of Nicaragua as well as other, smaller local carriers, flew into Las Mercedes. When the Sandinistas took power, the airport was named after Augusto César Sandino, a Nicaraguan revolutionary and guerrilla leader, after whom the Sandinista movement is named. The Sandinistas however did not maintain the airport, and it began to deteriorate until it was expanded and remodeled in 1996, when, among other things, two new boarding bridges were installed. The airport was renamed "Managua International Airport" in 2001 and renamed again in 2007 to its current name by President Daniel Ortega.
The airport has served for a very long time as a hub for Nicaragua's flag carrier, NICA. When NICA became a member of Grupo TACA during the 1990s, the number of important connections to the rest of Latin America from the Augusto C. Sandino International Airport grew considerably.
The Augusto C. Sandino International Airport, managed by EAAI, is considered one of the best and most modern airports in Central America. This airport, located just 11 km (7 mi) from the city center of Managua, has a runway which measures 8,015 ft (2,443 m) in length and is at an elevation of 194 ft (59 m).
Embraer 190s, Airbus A300, Airbus A310, Airbus A330, Boeing 737s, Boeing 747s, Boeing 757s, Boeing 767s, Lockheed L-1011 Tristars and McDonnell Douglas DC-10s can land at the airport.
A large expansion programme was underway by 2003 and as of July 2006 the final phase was completed with 11 gates equipped with jetways, and room for 20 airplanes to park. Currently the runway is also being expanded by 800 m (2,625 ft).
About 360 individuals are employed at the airport. Facilities within Augusto C. Sandino International Airport include a tourist information desk, bank, restaurants, bars, post office, souvenir shops, duty free shops, lounges and more. To make use of the VIP lounge there are five rate options: Normal, Corporate, Affiliated Credit Cards, Minors and Infants. The types of services in the VIP lounge include checking baggage and documents with customs and immigration plus the airline; a bar service; snacks etc.
Read more about this topic: Augusto C. Sandino International Airport
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