Juan Gualberto Gómez Airport (IATA: VRA, ICAO: MUVR), formerly known as Varadero Airport (Spanish: Aeropuerto de Varadero), is an international airport serving Varadero, Cuba and the province of Matanzas. The airport is located 5 km from the village of Carbonera, closer to the city of Matanzas than to Varadero. The closest airport to Varadero is Kawama Airport. In 2009, the airport handled 1.28 million passengers, making it the second busiest airport in Cuba after José Martí International Airport in Havana.
Juan Gualberto Gomez Airport was built in 1989 and inaugurated by Fidel Castro, thus replacing the old Varadero airport located in Santa Marta, currently known as Kawama Airport. The airport was named after a journalist, fighter for the Cuban Independence and black rights activist in Cuba Juan Gualberto Gómez (1854–1933).
The terminal building has shops for tourists (including rum, cigars, T-shirts, books, carvings, pharmaceuticals) both before customs check point, at a large departures lounge with cafeterias on the upper level and a smaller air conditioned VIP lounge the lower level.
Immigration checkpoint consists of wooden booths for push doors opened by immigration officers after travelers have been processed. Customs check point consists of three x-ray machines. Two flights of stairs and an escalator take travelers to the departure lounge. Tour operators offices are located near the domestic terminal area.
The ground handling equipment is imported mainly from North America. There are four jet bridges (serving parking areas 2 to 5), but air stairs are used for the remaining aircraft parking space #1 on the apron by the terminal.
Airlines | Destinations |
---|---|
Air Canada Rouge | Montréal–Trudeau, Toronto–Pearson |
Air Transat | Montréal–Trudeau, Toronto–Pearson Seasonal: Halifax, Hamilton, Moncton, Ottawa, Québec City, Winnipeg |
American Airlines | Miami |
Azur Air | Charter: Moscow-Domodedovo |
Blue Panorama Airlines | Milan-Malpensa |
Condor | Seasonal: Frankfurt, Munich |
Corsair International | Paris-Orly |
Cubana de Aviación | Montréal–Trudeau, Toronto–Pearson |
Edelweiss Air | Zürich |
Eurowings | Seasonal: Düsseldorf, Munich |
Interjet | Mexico City |
LOT Polish Airlines | Charter: Warsaw–Chopin |
Magnicharters | Seasonal: Monterrey |
Neos | Seasonal charter: Milan–Malpensa |
Nordwind Airlines | Seasonal charter: Moscow–Sheremetyevo |
Orbest | Seasonal: Lisbon |
Servicios Aéreos Profesionales | Punta Cana |
Sunwing Airlines | Calgary, Edmonton, Montréal–Trudeau, Ottawa, Toronto–Pearson,
Vancouver Seasonal: Bagotville, Charlottetown, Deer Lake, Fredericton, Gander, Halifax, Hamilton, Kelowna, London (ON), Moncton, Québec City, Regina, Saint John, St. John's, Saskatoon, Thunder Bay, Windsor, Winnipeg |
Thomas Cook Airlines | Manchester |
Thomas Cook Airlines Scandinavia | Seasonal charter: Copenhagen |
TUI fly Belgium | Brussels |
TUI fly Netherlands | Amsterdam |
Wamos Air | Madrid, Guatemala City |
WestJet | Toronto–Pearson Seasonal: Calgary |
There have been five significant incidents involving aircraft from or en route to the airport since the 1950s. Only 1 flight involved resulted in fatalities. Three flights involved Cubans hijacking an aircraft to flee to the United States.
Accidents and incidents that occurred at Varadero (Santa Marta) Airport (now as Kawama Airport):
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