Viru Viru International Airport

Viru Viru International Airport
Aeropuerto Internacional Viru Viru
Summary
Airport typePublic
OperatorNAABOL
LocationSanta Cruz de la Sierra
Opened1983 (1983)
Hub for
Focus city forBoliviana de Aviación
Elevation AMSL1,225 ft / 373 m
Coordinates17°38′41″S 63°08′07″W / 17.64472°S 63.13528°W / -17.64472; -63.13528
Websitewww.naabol.gob.bo
Map
Map credit
VVI
Location of airport in Bolivia
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
16/34 11,483 3,500 Concrete
Statistics (2023)
Passengers4,116,329
Source: SABSA,[1] Airport Statistics[2]

Viru Viru International Airport (IATA: VVI, ICAO: SLVR) is an international airport serving Santa Cruz de la Sierra, located 17 km (11 mi) north of the city. It is Bolivia's primary air terminal, handling much of the international traffic into the country. In 2023, the airport handled 4.12 million passengers, making it the busiest airport in Bolivia.[3] It serves as a major focus city for Boliviana de Aviación and offers routes to destinations across South America, North America, and Europe.

History

Plans for the airport in 1965 by General René Barrientos,[4][5] former president of Bolivia, with the intention of creating an intercontinental airport. Shortly thereafter, construction of the airport began until it was completed and inaugurated in 1983, to replace the obsolete El Trompillo Airport. Upon its inauguration, Viru Viru became a main gateway for international flights. Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano used Viru Viru as a hub before ceasing operations in 2008.

On 1 March 1997, the government of Bolivia entered into a 25-year contract with Airport Group International to operate the three largest airports in Bolivia — El Alto International Airport in La Paz, Jorge Wilstermann International Airport in Cochabamba and Viru Viru International Airport. Servicios de Aeropuertos Bolivianos Sociedad Anonima (SABSA) was created to operate the concession. In 1999, Airport Group International was purchased by TBI plc.

In 2004, Spain's Abertis/AENA purchased TBI. The airport was nationalized by the Bolivian government in 2013.[6]

SABSA has been substituted in March 2022 by the newly established government agency Navegación Aérea y Aeropuertos Bolivianos (NAABOL). This state-owned agency now manages the airports in Bolivia. [7]

Name

The name "Viru Viru" originates from the indigenous Guarani language spoken in the area. Most likely, "Viru Viru" refers to a toponym or a distinctive geographical feature after which the airport was named. There is some ambiguity about the meaning of it based on sources in the internet. Different meanings have been proposed:

  • Some say it means "round object" or "round place", referring to a nearby hill that has a circular shape, resembling a round object.
  • Others say it refers to a river that has now disappeared and was located 13 kilometres from the city. The tributary was in the same pampa where the airport was built.[8]
  • Lastly, it could mean "pampa, plain", which was the name of the whole geographical area of the place where the airport was built.[9]

Today, some researchers claim the correct spelling of the term would be "Birubiru".[10]

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights at Viru Viru International Airport:

AirlinesDestinations
Aerolíneas ArgentinasBuenos Aires–Aeroparque
Air EuropaMadrid
AviancaBogotá
Boliviana de Aviación Asunción, Buenos Aires–Ezeiza, Cochabamba, Iquique,[11] La Paz, Lima, Madrid, Miami, Oruro, Rio de Janeiro–Galeão,[12] Santiago de Chile,[11] São Paulo–Guarulhos, Sucre, Tarija, Trinidad
Seasonal: Barcelona,[13] Washington–Dulles[14]
Copa AirlinesPanama City–Tocumen
EcoJetCobija, Guayaramerín, Riberalta, Sucre, Tarija, Trinidad
Gol Linhas AéreasSão Paulo–Guarulhos
LATAM ChileSantiago de Chile
LATAM PerúLima
ParanairAsunción[15]
TAMep Cochabamba, La Paz

Cargo

AirlinesDestinations
AerCaribe Lima
Copa Airlines Cargo Ciudad de Panamá
TAB - Transportes Aéreos Bolivianos Cochabamba, La Paz, Miami

Statistics

Busiest international routes from VVI
(2015–2016)[16]
Rank City Passengers Top carriers % Change
1 Miami, United States 386,496 American Airlines, Boliviana de Aviación 4%
2 São Paulo (Guarulhos), Brazil 372,773 Boliviana de Aviación, Gol Airlines 10%
3 Buenos Aires (Ezeiza), Argentina 358,943 Aerolíneas Argentinas, Boliviana de Aviación 43%
4 Madrid, Spain 348,603 Air Europa, Boliviana de Aviación 5%
5 Panama City, Panama 278,277 Copa Airlines 15%
6 Lima, Peru 268,584 Avianca Ecuador, LATAM Perú 26%
7 Iquique, Chile 94,733 Amaszonas, LATAM Chile 7%
8 Asunción, Paraguay 79,962 Amaszonas, LATAM Paraguay 13%

References

  1. ^ "Aeropuerto Intl. El Alto - Bienvenidos a la Paz". Archived from the original on 31 May 2011. Retrieved 17 December 2015.
  2. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 November 2014. Retrieved 25 October 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. ^ "Santa Cruz Viru Viru International Airport Profile | CAPA". Centre for Aviation. Retrieved 10 September 2025.
  4. ^ Arce San Martín, Santiago R. (16 April 2008), "Liderazgo en Bolivia", Opinión Bolivia, retrieved 9 December 2022
  5. ^ "Bolivia sin una verdadera puerta de conexión al mundo". Datos-Bo. 13 June 2018. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  6. ^ "Bolivia nationalizes Spanish-owned airports operator". Reuters. 18 February 2013. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  7. ^ "Gobierno anuncia que SABSA pasará a NAABOL y ofrece a trabajadores formar parte de la institución". 24 February 2022.
  8. ^ ultracasas.com - 5 datos que NO CONOCÍAS acerca del Aeropuerto de VIRU VIRU
  9. ^ https://www.flickriver.com/photos/dan59/4540707944/ flickriver.com - Aeropuerto Internacional Viru Viru
  10. ^ ultracasas.com - 5 datos que NO CONOCÍAS acerca del Aeropuerto de VIRU VIRU
  11. ^ a b "Boliviana de Aviacion mid-2Q25 Chile Network Additions". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 8 May 2025.
  12. ^ "Confirmado! Voo direto do Rio de Janeiro para a Bolívia estreia no início de dezembro". Melhores Destinos (in Portuguese). 30 October 2025. Retrieved 31 October 2025.
  13. ^ "Boliviana de Aviación ya vende sus vuelos a Barcelona".
  14. ^ "BoA Adds Its Second U.S. Market". AirlineGeeks. Retrieved 26 November 2025.
  15. ^ "Paranair anuncia vuelos diarios a Santa Cruz de la Sierra". Aeronauticapy (in Spanish). 16 April 2023. Retrieved 10 September 2025.
  16. ^ "Tráfico de pasajeros – Origen/Destino Servicio Regular Internacional" (PDF). Dirección General de Aeronáutica Civil (Bolivia) (in Spanish). January 2017. Retrieved 9 May 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

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