Panamá Pacífico International Airport
| Panamá Pacífico International Airport | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IATA: BLB – ICAO: MPPA[1] | |||||||||||
| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||
| Serves | Panama Pacifico | ||||||||||
| Location | Balboa, Panama | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 16 m / 52 ft | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 08°54′54″N 079°35′58″W / 8.91500°N 79.59944°WCoordinates: 08°54′54″N 079°35′58″W / 8.91500°N 79.59944°W | ||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||
  BLB Location in Panama | |||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||
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Panama Pacifico International Airport, previously known as Howard Air Force Base (IATA: BLB, ICAO: MPHO), is an airport and former United States Air Force base located in Panama.[3] Commercial airline service started in 2014, with VivaColombia being the first to begin operations.[4]
Overview
The airport is located 6 miles southwest of Balboa, at the southern (Pacific) end of the Panama Canal. Most of the area around it is uninhabited and forms part of the Panama Canal Zone watershed, although Panama City can be reached by crossing the nearby Bridge of the Americas.
History
The government of Panama benefited from the closure of Howard Air Force Base. Much of the former military base is used to house call centers for technology companies, most notably Dell Computer.
In February 2008, the production for the James Bond movie Quantum of Solace used the base to double for an airport in Bolivia.
The former Howard Air Force Base is now called Panama Pacifico. The Panamanian National Air Show takes place at the airport every year, usually on the last Sunday of January.
Airlines and Destinations
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| VivaColombia | Bogotá, Medellín-Córdova[5] |
References
- ↑
- ↑ Airport information for MPHO at World Aero Data. Data current as of October 2006.Source: DAFIF.
- ↑ Hilarski, Randy (April 9, 2013). "Howard Air Force Base has Been Transformed into Panama Pacifico". Panama Simple. Retrieved 2015-04-08.
- ↑ "VivaColombia confirms Panama and Peru services and new base at Bogota in 2014". CAPA Center for Aviation. 2013-12-20. Retrieved 2015-04-08.
Bogota-Panama City service
- ↑ http://www.elespectador.com/noticias/elmundo/viva-colombia-inaugurara-su-primera-ruta-internacional-articulo-497513