The city of Ushuaia is often called "El Fin Del Mundo," the end of the world. The capital of the Argentine province of Tierra del Fuego is in fact close to the 55th parallel south, at the southern end of the peninsula on the Beagle Channel.

The development of tourism, owing to the city's attractiveness and to the breathtaking natural views all around, began during the 1980s. However, for Ushuaia to be completely appreciated as a starting point for excursions toward Tierra del Fuego National Park, Cape Horn, and the Antarctic, this remote city had to be reachable by visitors from the world over.

The project, started in 1988, envisaged the creation of new take-off and taxiing strips, buildings servicing the airport, and roads connecting with the city (around 4 km away). Its design features and size allow operation of larger-capacity passenger and cargo aircraft (B 747-400, MD 11, Airbus A-310, etc.), without restrictions, on a continuous 24-hour basis, in any meteorological conditions.

The challenge for the completion of the world's southernmost international airport was successfully met in 1995, and today Ushuaia is the gateway to the Tierra del Fuego and to Antarctica.

Recognitions: Given its orographic location and rigid, unstable microclimate, Ushuaia presents highly unusual airport requirements. By considering all these particular conditions, the new airport has obtained an ICAO Category II qualification.

Client: Government of Argentina

Main Technical Data:

Peat excavation: 162,500 m3

Earth excavation: 1,500,000 m3

Rock excavation: 2,600,000 m3

Concrete: 110,000 m3

Asphalt: 35,000 m2