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Fernando de Noronha Airport

Coordinates: 03°51′17″S 032°25′42″W / 3.85472°S 32.42833°W / -3.85472; -32.42833
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Governador Carlos Wilson Airport

Aeroporto Governador Carlos Wilson
Summary
Airport typePublic
OperatorDix Empreendimentos
ServesFernando de Noronha
Time zoneBRT+1 (UTC−02:00)
Elevation AMSL56 m / 184 ft
Coordinates03°51′17″S 032°25′42″W / 3.85472°S 32.42833°W / -3.85472; -32.42833
Websiteagemar.com.br/servicos/terminais-aeroportuarios
Map
FEN is located in South Atlantic
FEN
FEN
Location off the Atlantic coast of Brazil
Map
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
12/30 1,845 6,053 Asphalt
Sources: ANAC,[1] DECEA[2]

Gov. Carlos Wilson Airport (IATA: FEN, ICAO: SBFN) is the airport serving the island of Fernando de Noronha, Brazil. It is the easternmost airport of Brazil and the only facility located in the Brazilian oceanic islands.

It is operated by Dix Empreendimentos.

History

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Apron

Fernando de Noronha is the biggest island of the archipelago with the same name, located in Brazilian territorial waters, 545 km (339 mi; 294 nmi) away from Recife and 360 km (220 mi; 190 nmi) away from Natal.

The first runway was built in 1934. In 1942, during World War II, the runway was extended and a passenger terminal was built by the United States Army Air Forces Air Transport Command under the Airport Development Program. It provided technical support for the Natal-Dakar air route, which provided a transoceanic link between Brazil and French West Africa for cargo, transiting aircraft and personnel.

The airport was transferred to the jurisdiction of the United States Navy on 5 September 1944.[3] After the end of the war, the administration of the airport was transferred back to the Brazilian Government.

In 1975 another extension of the runway was made, allowing the operations of aircraft up to the class of a Boeing 737. In March 1999, the present passenger terminal was opened for service.

Following the crash of Air France Flight 447 on June 1, 2009, the airport became a base for search and rescue operations. The flight was en route from Rio de Janeiro-Galeão to Paris-Charles de Gaulle when it disappeared in the Atlantic Ocean approximately 550 km (340 mi; 300 nmi) northeast of Fernando de Noronha.[4] Floating debris and bodies were recovered within five days (the flight recorders however, would not be recovered until 2011), and it was determined that the aircraft had crashed into the Atlantic Ocean killing all 228 people on board.[5][6][7]

Starting October 12, 2022, the operation of Jet engine aircraft at the airport was indefinitely but temporarily suspended by the National Civil Aviation Agency of Brazil. Operations of Turboprop aircraft were not affected.[8] The reason for the decision was the condition of the runway which is in need of repairs.[9] The problem had already been reported to the operator in 2019 but repairs were not satisfactory.[10] Following this decision, Gol Linhas Aéreas for lack of authorized aircraft had to temporarily suspend its flights to the island,[11] and Azul Brazilian Airlines switched the operation of its flights to ATR 72-600 aircraft in lieu of Embraer 195 and Embraer 195-E2 aircraft.[12]

Airlines and destinations

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Apron with terminal airside
AirlinesDestinations
Azul Brazilian Airlines Natal, Recife
LATAM Brasil São Paulo–Guarulhos (begins 1 February 2025)[13]
Voepassa Recife

Note:
a: Flight operated with Voepass equipment on behalf of LATAM Brasil.

Accidents and incidents

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Access

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The airport is located 4 km (2.5 mi) from Vila dos Remédios, the administrative center of the island.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Aeródromos". ANAC (in Portuguese). 22 August 2019. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
  2. ^ "FERNANDO DE NORONHA (SBFN)". DECEA (in Portuguese). Retrieved 30 August 2023.
  3. ^ "Document Detail for IRISNUM 00001957". Air Force History Index. 18 May 1982. Retrieved October 20, 2010.
  4. ^ "Buscas às vítimas do voo 447 serão ampliadas em águas do Senegal" [Searches for victims of Flight 447 will be expanded in Senegal waters] (in Portuguese). Valor Econômico. June 10, 2009. Retrieved April 11, 2013.
  5. ^ "Brazil: Bodies found near Air France crash site". NBC News. 2009-06-06. Retrieved 2020-12-30.
  6. ^ "Bodies from missing plane found". BBC News. BBC. 2009-06-06. Archived from the original on 2009-06-08. Retrieved 2020-12-30.
  7. ^ Ranter, Harro. "Accident description F-GZCP". aviation-safety.net. Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 2020-12-30.
  8. ^ "Estão proibidos voos de aviões a jato em Fernando de Noronha a partir da próxima semana". Aeroin (in Portuguese). 6 October 2022. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
  9. ^ "Especificado o motivo da proibição de aviões a jato em Fernando de Noronha". Aeroin (in Portuguese). 6 October 2022. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
  10. ^ "Aeroporto de Noronha não resolveu os problemas da pista por 3 anos até culminar na atual restrição". Aeroin (in Portuguese). 6 October 2022. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
  11. ^ "Voepass não deve assumir imediatamente os voos da GOL para Noronha; veja o porquê". Aeroin (in Portuguese). 7 October 2022. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
  12. ^ "Azul apresenta as alterações em sua operação no Aeroporto de Fernando de Noronha". Aeroin (in Portuguese). 7 October 2022. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
  13. ^ "LATAM Brasil Revises Sao Paulo Guarulhos – Fernando de Noronha NW24 Service". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
  14. ^ Ranter, Harro. "Accident description FAB-2468". aviation-safety.net. Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved May 20, 2011.
  15. ^ Ranter, Harro. "Accident description PT-FAW". aviation-safety.net. Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved May 20, 2011.
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