Viru Viru International Airport in Santa Cruz de la Sierra is

Bolivia , image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg , flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center , flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...

's largest international airport. Viru Viru handles domestic, regional, and international flights from Bolivia, North America, South America and Europe and is the hub for Bolivia's biggest airline

Boliviana de Aviación Boliviana de Aviación, legally incorporated as ''Empresa Pública Nacional Estratégica Boliviana de Aviación'' ("Bolivian National Strategic Aviation Public Company") and commonly known as BoA, is the flag carrier airline of Bolivia and is wh ...

. The airport is able to handle aircraft up to the

Boeing 747-400 The Boeing 747-400 is a large, long-range wide-body airliner produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes, an advanced variant of the initial Boeing 747. The "Advanced Series 300" was announced at the September 1984 Farnborough Airshow, targeting ...

History

The airport was opened in 1983, to replace the obsolete El Trompillo Airport. Upon its inauguration, Viru Viru became a main gateway for international flights. Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano used Viru Viru as a hub before ceasing operations in 2008. On 1 March 1997 the government of Bolivia entered into a 25-year contract with Airport Group International to operate the three largest airports in Bolivia —

El Alto International Airport El Alto International Airport ( es, link=no, Aeropuerto Internacional El Alto) is an international airport serving La Paz, Bolivia. It is located in the city of El Alto, west of La Paz. At an elevation of , it is the highest international air ...

in La Paz,

Jorge Wilstermann International Airport Jorge Wilstermann International Airport ( es, Aeropuerto Internacional Jorge Wilstermann, ) is a high elevation international airport serving Cochabamba, the capital of the Cochabamba Department of Bolivia. The facility is named after Jorge Wils ...

in Cochabamba and Viru Viru International Airport. Servicios de Aeropuertos Bolivianos Sociedad Anonima (SABSA) was created to operate the concession. In 1999 Airport Group International was purchased by

TBI plc TBI Limited was an airport owner and operator, incorporated in the United Kingdom in 1972. It was a subsidiary of Airport Concessions and Development Limited (ACDL), owned by Spanish companies Abertis Infraestructuras S.A. (90%) and AENA Desarro ...

. In 2004, Spain's Abertis/AENA purchased TBI.

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

Cargo

Statistics

Top destinations

References

{{authority control Airports in Bolivia Buildings and structures in Santa Cruz de la Sierra Airports in Santa Cruz Department (Bolivia) Airports established in 1983 1983 establishments in Bolivia