Medellin Olaya Herrera

  July 1932 to present

  Colombia

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CITY: Medellin

IATA/ICAO CODES: EOH / SKMD

COORDINATES: 06°13'N / 75°35'W

OTHER NAMES: Medellin International (1932-1985), Olaya Herrera (1932-present)

Don Gonzalo Mejia saw an opportunity for the development of an airport in Medellin, as topography and the lack of roads made land transport to and from the area difficult, and the nearest airport was in Puerto Berrio. He secured financing from wealthy businessmen of the time, chose the land where the airport sits today and overcame obstacles imposed by the local government. He formed the UMCA (Uraba Medellin Central Airways) and established it as a subsidiary of Pan American Airways, which at the time had the outlook of becoming the dominant player in global aviation. The airport opened on 5 July 1932, and was named after the then president of Colombia, Enrique Olaya Herrera, who supported Don Gonzalo Mejía and his idea of an airport in Medellin.

In the 1940s the city was growing rapidly and new aircraft of the time required better facilities. In 1945, the runway and the existing facilities were expanded, a work that was completed on 1 May 1947. In the 1970's, the airport was again saturated and unable to meet the demand, so the construction of new and larger Jose Maria Cordova International Airport in the nearby locality of Rionegro was announced. This resulted in the closure of Olaya Herrera Airport and the reallocation of its land to a park. Passengers, however, asked the airport not be closed, and on 111 April 1986, the airport began operations again, albeit as a domestic hub.

SAM (Sociedad Aeronautica de Medellin)