Aeropuerto Internacional Silvio Pettirossi

Aeropuerto Internacional Silvio Pettirossi is the principal international airport of Paraguay and the largest airport in the landlocked South American nation. Serving the capital Asunción from the suburb of Luque, ASU handles 36 scheduled routes to 23 nonstop destinations operated by 16 airlines — high airline diversity that reflects Paraguay's open-skies bilateral arrangements and its position as a regional Mercosur crossroads. The airport operates a single 10,997 ft (3,352 m) lighted asphalt runway 02/20 at 292 ft (89 m) elevation. Named for Paraguayan aviation pioneer Silvio Pettirossi, who made the first powered flight over Paraguayan airspace in 1913, the airport's present terminal opened in 1980 and has been progressively modernized. ASU functions as a hub for LATAM Paraguay (inheriting the operations of the former flag carrier TAM Mercosur) and is served by Paranair, the Paraguayan regional operator headquartered at the airport. Internationally significant as the only major airport in Paraguay with regularly scheduled transatlantic capability and a frequent connecting point for trans-South American services. Key international routes include São Paulo (GRU) operated by LATAM and GOL; Buenos Aires Aeroparque (AEP) and Ezeiza (EZE) by Aerolíneas Argentinas and JetSmart; Santiago (SCL) by LATAM and Sky Airline; Lima (LIM); Montevideo (MVD); Panama City (PTY) by Copa Airlines; and European connectivity via Iberia's seasonal Madrid service and Air Europa. The airport's fortnightly cargo widebody service supporting Paraguay's soy, beef, and textile exports is handled by LATAM Cargo and Paranair Cargo. A new terminal project under a national concession framework is under extended bid review, with construction tentatively planned through 2028.