Jumandy Airport

Jumandy Airport (Spanish: Aeropuerto Jumandy) (IATA: TNW, ICAO: SEJD) is an airport serving Tena, Napo Province, Ecuador. It is 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) west of the village of Ahuano, and about 25 kilometres (16 mi) from Tena. It replaces Tena's Mayor Galo de la Torre Airport, which closed in 2001.

Jumandy Airport
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerGovernment of Ecuador
OperatorDirección General de Aviación Civil (Ecuador)
ServesTena
LocationAhuano, Napo Province, Ecuador
Elevation AMSL1,234 ft / 376 m
Coordinates01°03′35″S 77°35′00″W
Map
TNW
Location in Ecuador
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
09/27 2,600 8,530 Asphalt
Source: SkyVector[1] GCM[2]

Jumandy Airport takes its name from Jumandy, the great cacique (indigenous leader) of Napo who led a 1578 revolt against the Spanish.[3][4]

The airport was opened in 2011 to facilitate tourism to the Ecuadoran Amazon, in which Tena is located.[3] However, it had not been performing well and lost its only scheduled flight in January 2016. It is currently used by flying schools and general aviation.[5]

History

Jumandy Airport was constructed well outside Tena near the village of Ahuano. It was built by Consorcio Tena (Tena Consortium) at a cost of more than USD40 million.[3] After two years of work, the airport was inaugurated on 29 April 2011 by President Rafael Correa.[6]

On 5 June 2012, TAME commenced thrice weekly Quito–Macas–Tena–Quito service. Flights were operated using ATR 42-500 aircraft.[7] However, as early as 2013, the airline was suffering from low passenger loads on the route. Reasons included the distance between Tena and Jumandy Airport and the good quality of roads to Tena, which allow for fast, cheap transport by car or bus to the city.[5][6][8]

On 11 January 2016, TAME ended its flights to Tena, leaving Jumandy Airport without scheduled service.[5] The airline had been losing USD1.2 million annually on the route.[6]

After a caricaturist labeled the airport a white elephant, President Correa announced the airport would not be closed, but rather converted into an airbase for the Ecuadorian Air Force. In addition, the Ecuadorian Army will relocate to Jumandy from Río Amazonas Airport in Shell Mera.[9][10][11]

Facilities

The runway at Jumandy Airport measures 2,600 metres (8,500 ft), making it the third longest runway in the country, behind the runways at Guayaquil and Quito airports.[6] It can handle aircraft as large as the Boeing 767.[8] The apron occupies 17,600 m2 (189,000 sq ft).[3]

The Jumandy VOR-DME (Ident: JUV) and non-directional beacon (Ident: JUV, JUM, or TNB, approach dependent) are located on the field.[1]

The passenger terminal can handle up to 150 passengers, while the VIP terminal has a capacity of 30 persons. In addition, the airport fuel tanks can hold up to 22,000 gallons.[3]

See also

References
  1. "SEJD - Ahuano/Jumandy Airport". SkyVector. 10 December 2015. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
  2. Airport information for Jumandy Airport at Great Circle Mapper.
  3. López, Paola (17 June 2011). "Aeropuerto Jumandy está listo para iniciar operaciones". PP El Verdadero. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
  4. Uzendoski, Michael (2005). The Napo Runa of Amazonian Ecuador. Champaign, IL: University of Illinois Press. p. 145. ISBN 978-0-252-03007-9.
  5. "Tena, Ecuador sees only scheduled service end". Ch-aviation. 28 January 2016. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
  6. "Aerolínea comercial suspende operaciones en el aeropuerto con la tercera pista más grande del país". Ecuavisa. 25 January 2016. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
  7. "TAME launches new domestic service from Quito to Tena". Anna.aero. 13 June 2012. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
  8. Argoti, Carmita and Macas, Freddy (3 June 2013). "Vuelos con 5 pasajeros en Tena; y en El Oro único destino es Quito". El Universo. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
  9. "Aeropuerto de Tena será ocupado por Fuerza Aérea y Terrestre de Ecuador". El Mercurio. 29 January 2016. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
  10. "El aeropuerto de Jumandy será usado por la FAE". El Telégrafo. 30 January 2016. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
  11. "¿Yachay?, elefante blanco, esa fue una caricatura del malqueriente de Bonil, dice Correa". Ecuador En Vivo. 29 January 2016. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
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