Airport type Public Website Dix FEN Code FEN | Operator Dix Elevation AMSL 58 m / 190 ft 12/30 1,845 Elevation 58 m | |
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Address Fernando de Noronha (Distrito Estadual) - State of Pernambuco, 53990-000, Brazil | ||
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 one that is located in the Brazilian oceanic islands.
Contents
It is operated by Dix Empreendimentos.
History
Fernando de Noronha is the biggest island of the archipelago with the same name, located in Brazilian territorial waters, 545 km (339 mi) away from Recife and 360 km (224 mi) 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. 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 disappearance 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 (342 mi) northeast of Fernando de Noronha.
Accidents and incidents
Access
The airport is located 4 km (2 mi) from Vila dos Remédios, the administrative center of the island.