AIRLINES AND AIRPORTS IN BOLIVIA

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AIRPORTS AND LANDING STRIPS

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These are the principal airports - however, there are also many other smaller airports in Guayaramerían, Puerto Suárez, Riberalta, Rurrenabaque, and others. See a full listing of airports in Bolivia here.

In addition, there are several hundred airstrips throughout the country as well. The World Factbook claims that Bolivia has 1,382 landing strips, of which 1,016 have paved runways of under 915 meters. Many of these are rarely used. La Paz, Santa Cruz, and Cochabamba are the country's 3 main international entry points and have runways over 3,050 meters long. Bolivia is 7th on the list of countries with the most airstrips in the world because getting around by car, bus or train though affordable, can be quite difficult.

Several companies offer transportation by helicopter at the country's many airports. Because transport by helicopter is expensive, these companies are generally used by passengers that must reach remote regions of the country where airstrips don’t exist. Oil and gas company personnel frequently use helicopters to reach these areas, as do military personnel. Tourists and photographers can also contract their services.

AASANA, the “Administración de Aeropuertos y Servicios Auxiliares de la Navegación Aérea” is the government’s official airport and airstrip administrator throughout the country, although the 3 international airports are run and managed by a private company called SABSA. All the capitals of the different regions, large cities, and some towns in Bolivia, have airports that provide service for domestic flights. Flights on private airplanes can be found in most larger cities. Regularly scheduled air service is available between the major airports: La Paz, Cochabamba, and Santa Cruz which are linked to Potosi, Riberalta, Puerto Suarez, Sucre, Tarija, Trinidad, Cobija, Rurrenabaque, Guayaramerin and Yacuiba.

AIRLINES THAT SERVICE BOLIVIA

You can contact one of our excellent Travel Agencies because, of course, they are the foremost experts on how to arrive here and keep in constant daily contact with all the airlines that have routes to Bolivia.

LLOYD AEREO BOLIVIANO UPDATE April 2009: LAB is currently NOT operating - again. LAB used to carry 60 percent of all domestic passengers servicing most Bolivian cities, most major Latin American cities, and many other international destinations, including Miami. You can read more about it here.

AEROSUR is a rapidly growing domestic carrier that has added several international destinations (Buenos Aires, Sao Paolo, Madrid, Miami and others) during the past few years. It also offers full tour packages (including meals and accommodations), and several “passes” allowing passengers to fly now – pay later. It is now Bolivia's largest airline.

AMASZONAS is another national carrier that provides local or charter flights on small aircraft. It recently signed an agreement with Aerosur and Aerocon to provide routes together under the name UNABOLIVIA.

AMERICAN AIRLINES operates regular flights out of La Paz, Cochabamba and Santa Cruz to and from Miami and other destinations.

AEROCON is one of Bolivia's better national airlines. It operates smaller aircraft so it can provide routes to smaller cities and towns. Now part of UNABOLIVIA along with Amaszonas and Aerosur.

TRANSPORTES AEREOS MILITARES is a Bolivian military airline that provides regular civilian flights to many cities and towns in Bolivia, frequently with much lower fares.

AEROLÍNEAS SUDAMERICANAS is a new Bolivian airline that was to have begun operating on March 3, 2008. However, their phones and website don't work yet. We'll post more information soon.

LAN AIRLINES is based out of Chile and Peru. As an affiliate BoliviaBella receives information about upcoming fare sales and we pass it on to you right away so check this page.

TACA BoliviaBella is also an affiliate of this airline. Taca mainly services Central America but sometimes you can save on airfare by connecting through that region rather than Miami or Brazil.

COPA AIRLINES began providing flights between Panama and Santa Cruz, Bolivia in December 2008. For US flights it is affiliated with Continental airlines.

TAM Mercosur

GOL

Aerolineas Argentinas

Air France, British Airways, KLM, Aeroperu, Aeromexico, Nippon Airways, Cubana de Aviación, and Iberia are some of the major airlines that have regular routes through Bolivia. There are also several air-taxi companies that charter small planes.

AIRLINE NEWS ABOUT BOLIVIA

MARCH 2009: NEW GOVERNMENT-OWNED AIRLINE The Bolivian government has founded a new airline called Boliviana de Aviación (BOA). Currently is flies only domestic routes offering somewhat lower prices than other Bolivian airlines to some destinations. Routes are La Paz, Cochabamba and Santa Cruz. www.boa.bo

In general, national airlines provide cheaper flights within the country but not always for international flights, and they usually fly to some of the smaller destinations not served by foreign airlines.

If you plan to rent a car plan ahead by contacting one of these reputable rental car companies, as some do not have offices at the airport and will need to deliver the car to you upon arrival or at your hotel. There are taxis continuously from the airport to anywhere you want to go in town, and are not expensive at all. The average cost to the city is Bs. 45 (about US$6.00). Most major hotels also provide shuttle service to and from the hotel for their guests.

Air travel is common in Bolivia because of the rugged terrain. Getting from Santa Cruz to Cochabamba by bus takes 8-9 hours (and only about 40 minutes by air); to La Paz, about 12-14 hours by bus (and about 1 hour by air). The terrain is harsh, the roads are often not well-maintained, and there are many, many checkpoints to pass through. During the rainy season roads may be flooded or cut off by landslides. Bolivia also has two railroads, one in Western Bolivia and one in Eastern Bolivia, but amazingly, they are not yet connected so they are useless if you want to get from Santa Cruz to La Paz, for example.

You should expect to pay taxes upon entering or exiting the country, as well as any customs duties that may be assessed upon the belongings you bring into the country. A traveler's tax only applies to international flights for national passengers and residents of Bolivia, or foreigners and Bolivian residents in other countries that have been in Bolivia for more than 3 months. International: US$ 20 National: Bs 10

Take the proper legal actions in order to bring in the following items: cameras, laptops or other portable writing machines, video camcorders and accessories, tape recorders, sports equipment, five liters of alcoholic beverages, four hundred cigarettes (two cartons), fifty cigars or five hundred grams of tobacco, or whatever exceeds the exemption level of $US 2,000.

$5 Discount on Pingo Phone Cards for BoliviaBella.com Visitors!

GOOD SOURCES OF INFORMATION

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