28 de Noviembre Airport

Aeropuerto de Rio Turbio sits on the outskirts of the namesake town in southern Santa Cruz province, Argentina, roughly 10 kilometres from the Chilean border. Built in the late 1990s with hopes of boosting tourism and mining logistics, it never saw regular commercial service. Today the runway is closed, the terminal building stands empty, and the facility has been largely dismantled. For anyone planning travel to this remote corner of Patagonia, the airport is a non-factor — but understanding its story and what remains on the ground helps navigate the region.

Getting There

Without functioning flights, reaching Rio Turbio means travelling by road. The nearest city with scheduled air service is Río Gallegos, 250 km to the east via RN 40 and RP 1. The drive takes roughly three hours on a mix of paved and gravel roads, with sections subject to washboarding and dust in summer, ice or mud in winter. Rental cars are available in Río Gallegos; 4WD is wise if you plan to explore beyond the highway. Alternatively, long-distance buses operated by TAQSA run daily from Río Gallegos to Rio Turbio, terminating at what was once the town's second airport — now converted into a bus terminal. The bus journey costs about ARS 2,000 (as of early 2025) and takes four hours including a stop at 28 de Noviembre. From the Chilean side, Puerto Natales is 200 km west via Ruta 9 and the Dorotea border crossing, but that route requires crossing into Chile and back, so it's less direct for most travellers. El Calafate, 400 km north, is another launch point; the road is paved but long. There is no taxi rank or ride-share service at the airport itself, as it has no traffic.

Inside the Terminal

The terminal building is a modest one-storey structure with a small arrivals hall, a check-in area, and what would have been a baggage claim belt. All fixtures and fittings have been removed or vandalised. The ceiling tiles are missing in places, and the floor is littered with debris. There are no toilets, no seats, and no information desks. The building is locked except when occasionally used by local authorities for events or storage. If you arrive by car, you can park outside and look through the windows, but there is nothing to do. The surrounding area is fenced with a chain-link barrier, and a faded sign reads "Aeropuerto de Rio Turbio" with an arrow pointing to the entrance. The runway stretches behind the terminal, its asphalt cracked and overgrown with weeds. No aircraft have landed here in years, and the control tower — a small elevated cabin — is stripped of equipment. Anyone expecting a functioning airport will be disappointed. The best advice is to avoid coming here with the expectation of catching a flight.

Aeropuerto de Rio Turbio and the Region

Rio Turbio exists because of coal. The town was founded in the 1940s to exploit the largest coal deposit in Argentina, and the economy remains dependent on the state-owned Yacimientos Carboníferos Río Turbio (YCRT) mine. The airport was conceived as part of a broader plan to diversify into tourism, leveraging the scenic landscape of the southern Andes and the nearby Los Glaciares National Park — though the park's main attractions, Perito Moreno Glacier and Mount Fitz Roy, are a three-hour drive north. The immediate area has its own draws: Laguna Azul, a striking turquoise lake formed in a volcanic crater, and the historic mining railway that once transported coal to Río Gallegos. The town itself has a frontier feel, with cold winters, wind, and a population that hovers around 8,000. Visitors come primarily for the mining museum, the chance to see Patagonia's industrial past, and the proximity to the border with Chile, where Puerto Natales offers access to Torres del Paine National Park. The absence of a working airport is a clear obstacle to tourism growth. The two older airfields in town have found second lives — the first as a dirt racetrack for local competitions, the second as the TAQSA bus terminal — but the "New Airport" stands as a symbol of failed promise. Locals express frustration that a facility built with public money sits idle, especially as seasonal tourism could benefit from direct air links to Buenos Aires. The region's isolation means most travellers either drive long distances or fly to Río Gallegos and then take a bus, making a trip to Rio Turbio a deliberate choice rather than a casual detour.

Practical Information

The airport has no official operating hours; the terminal building is closed to the public. For any enquiries about the site, contact the municipal government of Rio Turbio (tel: +54 2966 44-3000, or visit the town hall at Av. San Martín 123). There is no website. The airport receives no flights and has no staff on site. Do not plan to arrive or depart by air here. If you need commercial air travel, use Río Gallegos Airport (RGL) or El Calafate Airport (FTE), both served by Aerolíneas Argentinas and low-cost carriers like Flybondi. For ground transport from those airports, pre-arrange a rental car or bus ticket. One concrete piece of advice: book bus tickets from Río Gallegos to Rio Turbio at least a day in advance, especially in summer, as seats fill up with mine workers and tourists heading to the area's few lodgings.