# Teniente General Benjamín Matienzo International Airport

Teniente Benjamín Matienzo International Airport (IATA: TUC, ICAO: SANT) is an airport station in the province of Tucumán, Argentina, handling all commercial air traffic operating in the province. It is located in the town of Cevil Pozo, in the Delfín Gallo district, 10 km from San Miguel de Tucumán and approximately 20 km from Yerba Buena. It was built in 1981, and its terminal was inaugurated on 12 October 1986.
The airport is named in honor of Benjamín Matienzo [es] who died in the first attempt to fly over the Andes to Chile.

## Overview

This airport replaced the old one, located on the Ninth of July Park, because of its location only 650 metres (2,133 ft) from the Plaza Independencia, and the lack of space for expansion, plus noise restrictions and the risks of having an airport in the very city centre. The old airport had one runway of 1,600 metres (5,200 ft) and was closed in 1987. The main bus station uses parts of the apron of the airport, while the Music School from the Universidad Nacional de Tucumán uses the former passenger terminal.
The departures pavilion was rebuilt in 2005, with international flights facilities and a jet bridge. It can accommodate all kinds of aircraft, such as the Boeing 767, Airbus A330 or Boeing 777. A freight terminal was constructed in 2013.
On 9 April 2013, the runway designation changed from 01/19 to 02/20 due to magnetic variation. The airport was closed between June and September 2017, when the runway was extended from 2,900 to 3,500 metres (9,500 to 11,500 ft), making it the second longest in Argentina, after Piloto Civil Norberto Fernández International Airport in Río Gallegos.
This airport holds great national importance as a cargo airport, ranking second in the country in this category after Ezeiza Airport. It operates flights to Miami, Lima, Guarulhos, and Santiago de Chile, transporting Tucumán’s production of blueberries, lemons, strawberries, and other fine fruits, as well as export products for the mining industry. Additionally, it is used for cargo flights during international sporting events such as MotoGP.
Its passenger record was set in 1988 when six airlines operated nearly one hundred weekly flights, covering both domestic and international destinations. In 1988, 710,000 passengers departed from Tucumán; in 1998, the number was 568,000, and in 2017, it was 544,605.
Over the years, airlines such as Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano, Inter Austral, Aerochaco, Alfa, Alta, Dinar Líneas Aéreas, Southern Winds, American Falcon, and Tapsa, as well as LATAM Chile and LATAM Peru, operated at this airport, though most of them have since disappeared. Currently, Aerolíneas Argentinas, JetSmart, FlyBondi, ANDES (charter flights), and American Jet serve the airport.
Regarding cargo airlines, the airport has received cargo flights from Qatar Cargo, LATAM Cargo, ATLAS Air, AerCaribe, CargoLux, Kalitta Air, Lufthansa Cargo, and Ethiopian Cargo.
In mid-2019, a new ILS system was inaugurated, replacing an older system from 1981, which required frequent maintenance and verification, leading to higher operational costs and affecting the airport’s functionality under adverse weather conditions. Additionally, the system had been discontinued by its manufacturer, making technical support difficult.
In 2020, the airport’s Control Tower was modernized. The renovated tower now includes a new rest area for air traffic controllers, an emergency exit compliant with safety and hygiene regulations, air conditioning systems, a fire protection system, and improved technological equipment.
In recent years, various proposals have been made for the expansion and modernization of the airport. However, due to the country's economic situation and political instability, no agreement was reached at the provincial and national levels to authorize the execution of these projects. Additionally, the airport’s development depends on the intervention and investments of the managing company, Aeropuertos Argentina 2000.
In 2017, a provincial proposal for remodeling was put forward, and renowned Tucumán-born architect César Pelli designed a project. However, only the runway expansion was carried out, making it one of the longest in the country. Finally, in 2024, an investment agreement was reached between the national government and the province of Tucumán for the airport’s renovation. Aeropuertos Argentina 2000 proposed its own design, and the project is currently in the development phase. The total investment will amount to $58 US million, allowing the terminal’s capacity to increase from 750,000 to 1,500,000 passengers annually, effectively doubling its operational capacity. The bidding process is already underway, with proposals set to be opened on April 1, 2025.
The airport has a bonded warehouse, including a cold storage chamber (+0° to +2°C) authorized for fresh fruit exports by Aeropuertos Argentina Cargas. Tucumán’s cargo terminal also operates as a dry port, with a storage capacity of 200 pallets, three loading and unloading docks, and space for up to ten waiting trucks. The dry port authorization enables a specialized workflow that speeds up the processes of inspection, sealing, and loading of trucks that transport goods to seaports for export.

## Airlines and destinations
### Passenger

| Airlines | Destinations |
| Aerolíneas Argentinas | Buenos Aires–Aeroparque, Córdoba (AR), Puerto Iguazú, Punta Cana, Salta, San Carlos de Bariloche Seasonal: Buenos Aires–Ezeiza, Mar del Plata |
| Flybondi | Buenos Aires–Aeroparque |
| JetSmart Argentina | Buenos Aires–Aeroparque, Buenos Aires–Ezeiza |

### Cargo

Tucumán is the second busiest airport in Argentina by cargo tonnage, after Buenos Aires-Ezeiza. Most cargo flights are scheduled between September and November, taking fresh fruit to Europe and the United States. Additionally, it is used for cargo flights during international sporting events such as MotoGP.
Regarding cargo airlines, the airport has received cargo flights from Qatar Cargo, LATAM Cargo, ATLAS Air, AerCaribe, CargoLux, Kalitta Air, Lufthansa Cargo, Ethiopian Cargo and ANTONOV.
| Airlines | Destinations |
| Atlas Air | Miami |
| LATAM Cargo Chile | Seasonal: Miami |

## Statistics

Traffic by calendar year. Official ORSNA statistics :
| | Passengers | Change from previous year | Aircraft operations | Change from previous year | Cargo (metric tons) | Change from previous year |
| 2011 | 404,040 | 1.71% | 6,007 | 2.21% | 4,937 | 58,95% |
| 2012 | 444,893 | 10.11% | 5,655 | 5.86% | 5,167 | 4.59% |
| 2013 | 500,906 | 12.59% | 6,099 | 7.85% | 3,427 | 33.64% |
| 2014 | 523,191 | 4.45% | 5,538 | 9.20% | 5,950 | 73.62% |
| Source: ORSNA (es) |||||||

## Ground transportation

Tucumán International Airport has direct public transport links to San Miguel de Tucumán served by Bus nº 121 to the Bus Terminal Station, through AV. Avellaneda. Route A016 (continuation from Av. Sarmiento) provides access to the City Center. Taxis and rental cars are available as well, as is the case in most airports.

## Accidents and incidents

* On 28 August 1975, leftist guerillas set off explosives on the runway as a military C-130 Hercules plane was attempting to take off. Four people on board were killed and 35 injured.
* In 1981, Austral Líneas Aéreas Flight 901 crashed in a river near Buenos Aires, en route from Tucumán, killing all 31 on board.