Airport guide
El Calafate AirportIATA code FTE
El Calafate Airport (FTE/SAWC) is the primary air passenger gateway serving El Calafate, Argentina in South America. The airfield connects travelers with essential regional transit routes and operating carrier options.
- Serves
- El Calafate, Argentina
- Codes
- FTE · SAWC
- IATA · ICAO
- Time zone
- America/Argentina/Rio_Gallegos
- Region
- South America
El Calafate Airport (FTE/SAWC) is the primary air passenger gateway serving El Calafate, Argentina in South America. Operating on America/Argentina/Rio_Gallegos local time at coordinates -50.280°, -72.050°, the airfield functions as an active commercial transit hub for scheduled regional and international flights. Travelers navigating El Calafate Airport (FTE) are encouraged to confirm terminal layouts, ground transport connections into El Calafate, and flight schedules with their operating carrier prior to travel.
El Calafate Airport details
- IATA code
- FTE
- ICAO code
- SAWC
- City
- El Calafate
- Country
- Argentina
- Region
- South America
- Time zone
- America/Argentina/Rio_Gallegos
- Coordinates
- -50.280°, -72.053°
- From OurAirports
Codes, region and time zone come from the Originfacts airport record (last updated 12 Jun 2026). Fields marked otherwise come from the dataset named on them. None are verified by hand against El Calafate Airport’s own pages.
FTE airport facts
- Size class
- Medium airport
- From OurAirports (5 Oct 2026); OurAirports’ own classification
- Elevation
- 204 m (669 ft)
- From OurAirports (5 Oct 2026)
- Nearest airport with scheduled flights
- 28 de Noviembre Airport RYO · 148 km
- OurAirports scheduled-service flag; straight-line distance calculated
Runways at FTE
Source: OurAirports (opens in a new tab) runways data (public domain), retrieved 5 Oct 2026. Not an aeronautical source — not for navigation.
One open runway, lit. The runway 7/25: 2,550 m, concrete.
| Runway | Length | Width | Surface | Lighting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7/25 | 2,550 m8,366 ft | 45 m | concrete | Lit |
Routes from FTE
Originfacts does not track any routes from FTE yet, so no route records are listed here. Check current schedules with the airlines or the airport’s own site.
Where FTE is
16 km east-northeast
El Calafate Airport lies 16 km east-northeast of El Calafate city centre in a straight line. Road distance is longer; transport options are not yet verified (see terminals and transport below).
Calculated from the airport coordinates (OurAirports) and the Wikidata (opens in a new tab) city-centre point.
Terminals, transport and parking at FTE
Terminal assignments, ground transport into El Calafate, parking, lounges and accessibility services have not been verified against El Calafate Airport’s own pages yet, so none are listed here.
Check directly:aeropuertoelcalafate.com (opens in a new tab)Map of the airport location (opens in a new tab)
Before you travel
- Confirm your terminal with the operating airline.
- Check the check-in and bag-drop cut-off times on your booking.
- Allow extra time if you need to change terminals or check bags in again.
- Check your flight status before you leave for the airport.
Airports near El Calafate
Straight-line distances calculated from each airport’s coordinates in the Originfacts airport records. Road distances are longer.
- Puerto NatalesTeniente J. GallardoPNT159 km
- Rio GallegosRio Gallegos Internacional AirportRGL245 km
- Punta ArenasPres Ibanez AirportPUQ315 km
- BalmacedaTeniente Vidal AirportBBA486 km
- Rio GrandeRio Grande AirportRGA488 km
- UshuaiaMalvinas Argentinas International AirportUSH566 km
- Comodoro RivadaviaGeneral E. Mosconi International AirportCRD605 km
- EsquelEsquel AirportEQS822 km
- CastroMocopulli AirportMHC891 km
El Calafate Airport: common questions
Where is El Calafate Airport?
El Calafate Airport serves El Calafate, Argentina. Its coordinates in OurAirports are -50.280°, -72.053°.
What are the airport codes for El Calafate Airport?
The IATA code is FTE and the ICAO code is SAWC.
What time zone is FTE in?
El Calafate Airport is in the America/Argentina/Rio_Gallegos time zone.
What is the official website of El Calafate Airport?
The airport’s official website is aeropuertoelcalafate.com. For questions about a booking, contact the operating airline.
How many runways does El Calafate Airport have?
OurAirports lists one open runway at FTE: 7/25 (2,550 m (8,366 ft), concrete).
When did El Calafate Airport open?
Wikidata gives 2000 as its official opening date.
How far is FTE from El Calafate city centre?
El Calafate Airport is about 16 km east-northeast of El Calafate city centre in a straight line, calculated from coordinates. The distance by road is longer.
What is the elevation of El Calafate Airport?
OurAirports gives FTE’s elevation as 204 m (669 ft) above sea level.
Sources
Nothing on this page is verified by hand yet. Each section comes from the dataset below, with its date where the dataset has one. Terminal, transport and parking details are left out until they can be read from El Calafate Airport’s own pages.
- Codes, location, time zoneOriginfacts airport record12 Jun 2026
- Official websiteWikidata record (official website property) (opens in a new tab)5 Oct 2026
- Coordinates, runways, type, elevationOurAirports (opens in a new tab) — public domain5 Oct 2026
- Opening, operator, passengers, hubsWikidata item Q1655986 (opens in a new tab) — CC05 Oct 2026
- Distance to city centreCalculated from airport coordinates and the Wikidata (opens in a new tab) city-centre point—
- Nearby airportsCalculated from airport coordinates—
- Terminals and transportNot yet verified—
Background reading:Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)