Airport type Public Code PET Phone +55 53 3223-1227 | Elevation AMSL 18 m / 59 ft 06/24 1,980 Elevation 18 m Passenger count 48,944 | |
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Similar Expresso Embaixa Ltda, Casa dos Bichos, Point dos Bichos, UFPel ‑ Campus Porto, Mika |
João Simões Lopes Neto International Airport (IATA: PET, ICAO: SBPK) is the airport serving Pelotas, Brazil.
Contents
This airport was named after the regional writer João Simões Lopes Neto (1865 — 1916) and it is operated by Infraero.
History
On June 22, 1927 the city of Pelotas received the first official commercial passenger flight operated by the first Brazilian airline, Varig, founded only a month earlier. The flight Porto Alegre/Pelotas/Rio Grande, operated by an amphibian Dornier Wal, used Pelotas River for landing and take-off operations. However, as early as 1930 a small terminal was built by a grass strip on the site where today is the airport.
In 1935 the airport with all the necessary amenities was officially inaugurated and continues in operation ever since.
In 1997 the whole airport complex was extensively renovated and a new terminal was opened in 1998. In 2001 it was upgraded to international status.
Pelotas is commonly used by the Brazilian Air Force as the last stop in Brazil on its flights to the Brazilian Antarctic Base.
Accidents and incidents
Access
The airport is located 8 km (5 mi) from downtown Pelotas.