La Chinita International Airport
Airport serving Maracaibo, Venezuela
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La Chinita International Airport (IATA: MAR, ICAO: SVMC) is an international airport serving Maracaibo, the capital of Zulia State, Venezuela. It is located southwest of Maracaibo proper in the municipality of San Francisco. La Chinita is Venezuela's second most important airport in terms of passenger and aircraft movements, after Simón Bolívar International Airport near Caracas.
La Chinita International Airport Aeropuerto Internacional La Chinita | |||||||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Public / Military | ||||||||||||||
| Operator | BAER (state owned by the Venezuelan government) | ||||||||||||||
| Serves | Maracaibo | ||||||||||||||
| Location | San Francisco, Zulia | ||||||||||||||
| Opened | 16 November 1969 | ||||||||||||||
| Hub for | Venezolana | ||||||||||||||
| Focus city for | Conviasa | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 235 ft / 72 m | ||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 10°33′30″N 71°43′40″W | ||||||||||||||
| Website | https://baer.gob.ve/aeropuerto-internacional-la-chinita/ | ||||||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||||||
.svg)  MAR Location of the airport in Venezuela | |||||||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||||||
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| Statistics (2008) | |||||||||||||||
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| Sources:,[1] WAD,[2] Google Maps[3] | |||||||||||||||
History
This airport construction was accelerated due to the accident of Viasa Flight 742 on 16 March 1969, resulting in the death of 155 people and the closure of Grano de Oro Airport, which is located too close to the city centre and surrounded by neighborhoods.[4] The airport opened on 16 November 1969, during the administration of President Rafael Caldera, to open a gateway to the western part of the country and to alleviate congestion from Simón Bolívar International Airport, which manages about half of the international flights in Venezuela.[citation needed]
Facilities
Airlines and destinations
Passenger
Cargo
Accidents and incidents
- On 1 November 1971, Vickers Viscount YV-C-AMZ of Linea Aeropostal Venezolana crashed shortly after take-off. All four people on board were killed.[7]
- On March 5, 1991, Aeropostal Alas de Venezuela Flight 108 crashed into a nearby mountain soon after takeoff, killing all 45 passengers and crew.[8]
