Pico Airport (Portuguese: Aeroporto do Pico) (IATA: PIX, ICAO: LPPI) is a regional airport serving Pico Island in the Azores archipelago, an autonomous region of Portugal. It is located approximately 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) northeast of the town of Madalena, at an elevation of 34 metres (112 ft) above sea level. The airport is situated across the two civil parishes of Bandeiras and Santa Luzia on the northern coast of the island.
History
The first studies for an aerodrome on Pico were conducted after World War II, but a 1946 decision instead placed the airport on the neighbouring island of Faial. Construction on Pico finally began on 5 May 1976, initiated by the Portuguese army and completed under the administration of the Regional Government of the Azores. The runway was inaugurated on 25 April 1982 with an initial length of 1,200 metres (3,900 ft), which limited its capacity for larger aircraft. The runway's east–west orientation made it susceptible to dominant southerly winds, raising operational concerns.
The runway was extended to 1,520 metres (4,990 ft) in 1990 to accommodate new ATP aircraft in SATA Air Açores' fleet. A further extension to 1,745 metres (5,725 ft) was completed later, along with a new terminal building, parking area, control tower, first aid station, firefighting centre, and cargo warehouse. In April 2005, Pico received its first direct flight from Lisbon.
Facilities
The airport has a single asphalt runway designated 09/27, measuring 1,745 metres (5,725 ft) in length and 45 metres (148 ft) in width. The runway is illuminated and supports both visual flight rules (VFR) and instrument flight rules (IFR) operations. Approach instruments are based on PI locators, and an Instrument Landing System (ILS) was adjudicated around 2010.
The airport is operated by SATA Gestão de Aeródromos.
Airlines and Destinations
Pico Airport serves inter-island flights within the Azores (operated by SATA Air Açores) and seasonal direct flights to mainland Portugal and some European destinations (operated by Azores Airlines). In 2008, SATA Air Açores handled approximately 58,000 passengers at the airport.
Note on Naming
There is also General Pico Airport (IATA: GPO, ICAO: SAZG) in General Pico, La Pampa Province, Argentina, which is a separate facility serving a town of the same name.
