Augusto Cesar Sandino International Airport (Spanish: Aeropuerto Internacional Augusto César Sandino) (IATA: MGA, ICAO: MNMG) is the main airport in Managua, Nicaragua. Inaugurated as Las Mercedes Airport in 1968 it was later renamed Augusto César Sandino International Airport during the Sandinista regime in 1980s and again in 2001 to Managua International Airport by then president Arnoldo Alemán. Its name was changed once more in February 2007 to its current name by President Daniel Ortega in honor of Nicaragua's national hero, Augusto César Sandino.^[1]

The runway at the airport is 8,015 feet long, and has an elevation of 194 feet. With 1.1 million passengers per year, Augusto C. Sandino International Airport is currently the fifth busiest airport by passenger traffic in Central America. The airport also serves as a hub for the Panamanian airline Copa Airlines.

History [edit]

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.^[2] After the construction was finished the airport was inaugurated on July 4, 1968 by Anastasio Somoza Debayle.^[3] 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.^[4] It was considered fully equipped, having air conditioning, background music, loudspeakers and conveyor belts for baggage handling.^[5] 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.^[4] 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).^[6]

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).^[7]

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.^[8]

Airlines and destinations [edit]

Cargo [edit]

Incidents and accidents [edit]

• On March 5, 1959, Vickers Viscount YS-09C of TACA International Airlines crashed shortly after take-off from Managua Airport when both port engines failed. Fifteen of the 19 people on board were killed.^[9]

• On February 15, 1974, a Douglas DC-3 of APSA was damaged beyond economic repair when it crash-landed at Managua Airport.^[10]

• On June 5, 2006 a McDonnell Douglas DC10-10F (registered N68047) en route Miami - Managua touched down hard at Managua and was unable to stop before the end of the runway. The aircraft overran by about 300 meters, the nose gear collapsed causing substantial damage to the engines as well as a possible fuel rupture in the wing.^[11]

• On July 24, 2007 a Boeing 737-700, Continental flight 876, with 120 passengers and a crew of 6 flying from Panama City to Houston had to land in the Augusto C. Sandino International Airport because one of the internal security windows suffered a rupture.^[12]

• On November 19, 2011 an Airbus A340 from Iberia Airlines, en route Madrid - San Jose de Costa Rica had to divert to Managua due to bad weather in San Jose de Costa Rica which led to the closing of the airport. The airplane landed safely at Managua, and the passengers were accommodated in nearby hotels and spent the rest of the day in Managua. The plane and passengers would leave Managua the next day at 1:00PM local time en route to San Jose. ^[13]

References [edit]

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

External links [edit]

• Official website
• Airport information for MNMG at World Aero Data. Data current as of October 2006.