El Alcaraván Airport

El Alcaraván Airport Aeropuerto El Alcaraván
IATA: EYP – ICAO: SKYP
Summary
Airport type	Public
Operator	Aerocivil
Location	Yopal, Colombia
Elevation AMSL	313 m / 1,027 ft
Coordinates	05°39′55″N 072°12′54″W / 5.66528°N 72.21500°WCoordinates: 05°39′55″N 072°12′54″W / 5.66528°N 72.21500°W
Map
EYP Airport in Colombia
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 05/23 2.575 8 Asphalt

El Alcaraván Airport (IATA: EYP, ICAO: SKYP), also known as El Alcaraván, is an airport in Yopal, Casanare, Colombia, located in 20 de Julio neighborhood. Although this terminal only operates domestic flights between Bogotá and Bucaramanga is classified as an international airport because it has an emigration department, DIAN, airport police, hangars, commercial offices, modules, boarding and debarcation zone, gas station, waiting room and additionally there are many facilities for the passengers such as restaurants, cafeterias and souvenir stores.

The passenger's airlines that are currently operating flights from and to the city of Yopal are LAN Airlines Colombia, Avianca and EasyFly, and there were others like Satena that ceased operations in this route. Due to the good economy of the department of Casanare, based on petroleum, there has been an increase in the number of people using the airport; for that reason, it is being remodeled and many important airlines are now scheduling flights to the capital of Casanare.

History

In 1965 started the first commercial flights in Yopal when Aerotaxi Casanare S.A. was founded, it was the only airline during a long time, until 1992 when the Aeronautica Civil let Aires S.A. operate in this airport.^[1]

In 1996, Ecopetrol, British Petroleum, and others companies were into the petroleum that the department has and decided to invest 6100 millions of pesos for improving the runway and offices with the goal of adapting the airport for letting the Antonov 124 could land on with all the tons of material that those companies needed.

On 27 November 1996, the ex-president of Colombia, Ernesto Samper, arrived in a Boeing 707 at El Alcaravan airport to inaugurate the improvements that were made by the oil companies.

In September 2006, the Camara de Comercio de Casanare asked the Ministry of Transport to make El Alcaravan an international airport, because it has all the facilities that are needed, it would increase the economy of the department, and it would let the flights that come from North America and South America refuel.

In 2009 the possibility of becoming El Alcaravan an international airport was studied again; however, so far, the airport only operates domestic flights.

Airlines and destinations

Boeing 737-700 at El Alcaravan Airport

Airlines	Destinations
Avianca	Bogotá
EasyFly	Bogotá, Bucaramanga
LATAM Colombia	Bogotá
Satena	Bucaramanga

LAN Colombia: After the purchase of AIRES S.A by LAN Airlines, This airline started to operate flights from Yopal to Bogotá and vice versa under the name of LAN Colombia with a DASH Q-400, a plane that has 50 seats, but a few months later; because of the demand of tickets, they changed that airplane for a Boeing 737-700 with a capacity of 150 passengers. Currently they have three flights a day.

Avianca: Since 2012 Avianca is back, they are offering two flights a day, each one has a capacity for 50 people, but for security, sometimes the flight are restricted and only can be operated with 49 clients on board. Its aircraft is a Fokker 50, but according to the announcement that one of the heads of Avianca in Yopal gave to EXTRA Newspaper they are planning to operate an Airbus A319, this one has 12 seats on business class and 88 on tourist class.

EasyFly: This low cost airline operates a Jet Stream 41 from British Aerospace each plane has 30 seats and the frequency of flights to Yopal is up to 10 a day. It is the airline with more flights.

Satena: Some years ago, this was one of the principal airlines but since 2011 they started to cease their flights, and currently there are no flights to El Alcaraván with Satena.

Airlines that ceased operation

Airlines	Destinations
Satena	Bogotá
AeroTACA	Bogotá, Villavicencio
Avianca	Villavicencio

Note: Avianca ceased flights for a while, but since 2012 they are operating flights to Bogotá D.C. again.

The Antonov 124

Antonov 124 in Yopal, Casanare

In August 1997,the specialized magazine Motor from Casa Editorial El Tiempo, from Bogotá, Colombia published an article about the flights that the Antonov, one of the biggest airplane in the world with a capacity of 120 tons, had to do from Ernesto Cortizzos airport in Barranquilla, Atlantico to Yopal in order to take from there some machines and material that British Petroleum needed for building oil wells in Casanare. Each trip had a price of 85 million pesos. Owing to the characteristics of this airplane, the runway had to be extended.^[2]

Transport

The airport does not have its own buses to take the passengers to their destinations; however, people can get to the airport by taxi or bus in only 15 minutes. For the passengers that arrive to Yopal, there are taxis waiting at the entrance until the midnight.

Parking

At the entrance of the airport, there are 50 spaces for parking cars while the passenger take his luggage. It is not let to wait passengers in front of the exit because it creates a jam.

Accidents and incidents

• On 25 October 1976, Douglas C-47 HK-149 of Taxi Aéreo El Venado crashed on approach. The aircraft was on a domestic scheduled passenger flight. Shortly after take-off, the port engine failed and the decision was made to return to El Alcaraván. All 36 people on board were killed.^[3]

References

1. Benitez, Arcadio (2003). Yopal 60 años, pp. 216. Yopal, Casanare. ISBN 9583344567.
2. Clopatofsky, José (1997). El Antonov suda petroleo en Colombia, p. 6. Revista Motor Agosto, Colombia.
3. "HK-149 Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 15 August 2010.

External links

• Airport information for SKYP at World Aero Data. Data current as of October 2006.