The construction of the new international airport that will be established at the Punta Huete military airbase, located 60 kilometers northwest of Managua, will begin next July.
This was confirmed by Laureano Ortega, son and advisor of Nicaragua’s president, Daniel Ortega, in statements to TN8 channel, also noting that the financing of USD 450 million from China is secured, and that the project will be managed by CAMCE.
The Chinese government loan is for 15 years with a grace period of 4.5 years.
The new Punta Huete International Airport will have a runway 3,600 meters long and 60 meters wide, and a terminal capable of handling 3.5 million passengers per year. Its construction is expected to be completed by 2028.
According to the Nicaraguan government, this project is necessary to improve the country’s air competitiveness since the current Augusto C. Sandino International Airport faces limitations in expanding its capacity (it handles 1.4 million passengers annually). It will also be part of a multimodal logistics hub along with other projects like the new deep-water port in Bluefields.
The Punta Huete Airbase was built in the 1980s by the Sandinista army with support from the then Soviet Union.
Flights in Managua
According to information obtained by Aviacionline through Cirium, the current Managua airport receives an average of 250 weekly flights, providing 36,000 seats.
The airlines operating are:
- American Airlines: 14 weekly flights to Miami.
- Aeroméxico: 4 weekly flights to Mexico City.
- Avianca: 26 weekly flights to San Salvador and 19 weekly flights to Miami.
- Copa Airlines: 3 weekly flights to San José, Costa Rica, 3 to Guatemala City, and 8 weekly flights to Panama City.
- La Costeña: 7 weekly flights to Cron Island, 4 weekly flights to Puerto Cabezas, and 7 weekly flights to Bluefields.
- Spirit Airlines: 7 weekly flights to Fort Lauderdale.
- SANSA: 5 weekly flights to San José, Costa Rica.
- United Airlines: 14 weekly flights to Houston-IAH.
- Conviasa: 4 weekly flights to Havana.
