Martin Garcia Island Airport (Spanish: Aeropuerto de la Isla Martín García) (ICAO: SAAK) is the airport of Isla Martín García, a small Argentine island at the head of the Río de la Plata estuary, near the coast of Uruguay.

It features a small passenger terminal and a single long asphalt runway. Daily traffic consists of general aviation private and commercial (tourism) flights, especially on weekends.

Touch-and-go's are not allowed (strictly enforced) due to noise abatement restrictions to protect the birds nesting in the wildlife preserve next to the airport.

History

The island was under jurisdiction of the Argentine Navy since 1886, and naval forces were placed in it. In the late 1920s an airstrip was built, the precursor of the Martín García Naval Air Station (Spanish: Estación Aeronaval Martín García); this was expanded in the 1950s to support heavier aircraft. The air station become the "Martín García Island Airport" after jurisdiction was transferred to the Province of Buenos Aires.

Facilities

The airport elevation is 7 feet (2 m) above mean sea level and it has one runway designated 17/35 which measures 1,260 by 30 metres (4,134 ft × 98 ft). All approach and departures are over the water. North approach and departure are over a noise-sensitive nature preserve. The immediate area around the island is Argentine airspace.

The San Fernando VOR-DME (Ident: FDO) is located 23.3 nautical miles (43 km) southwest of the airport.

See also

• Argentina portal
• Aviation portal
• Transport in Argentina
• List of airports in Argentina