Puerto Barrios Airport, formerly Izabal Air Base (Base Aérea de Izabal), serves the city of Puerto Barrios, the port of Santo Tomás de Castilla and the Guatemalan Caribbean. It is operated and administrated by Dirección General de Aeronáutica Civil (DGAC).

History

Puerto Barrios Airport is located in the northern part of the city of Puerto Barrios, near the shore of Amatique Bay. In the 1920s and 30s Puerto Barrios was a seaplane destination only; a first concrete runway was built by the United States Government during World War II for strategic reasons. It was later used by the Guatemalan Air Force, known under the name "Base Aérea de Izabal". In 2002, the airport was equipped with a VOR-DME radio beacon with the help of COCESNA, the Central American Corporation for Air Navigation. Being located near the port of Santo Tomás de Castilla, today the airport is of special interest for cruise ship operators, who carry passengers to important attractions throughout the country on chartered flights. Puerto Barrios has always been a logistics center, which is emphasized in the city seal, which depicts a ship, a train, an airplane, and a truck. In January 2017, the airport was undergoing renovations. The DGCA was investing 1.5 million Guatemalan quetzals into the project, which it expected to complete by 28 March.

Aviation in Puerto Barrios

Past

After World War II

Airlines and destinations

Incidents