Comandante Espora Naval Air Base (also Comandante Espora Airport (Bahía Blanca Airport, BACE); ICAO SAZB) is an active joint civil-military airfield in Argentina, operated by the Argentine Naval Aviation. It has 3 runways (longest 2,616 m). Home to Comando de la Aviación Naval (Naval Aviation Command).
38.7250°S, 62.1693°W · 75 m elevation
| Operating Country | 🇦🇷 Argentina |
| Location | 🇦🇷 Argentina |
| Status | Active |
| Usage | Dual |
| Year built | 1939 |
| Operating Organization | Argentine Naval Aviation |
| Units |
Comando de la Aviación Naval (Naval Aviation Command)
|
| Elevation | 75 m (246 ft) |
| IATA code | BHI |
| ICAO code | SAZB |
| Runways |
06/24 · 2,030 m (6,660 ft) · Asphalt17R/35L · 1,498 m (4,915 ft) · Asphalt17L/35R · 2,616 m (8,583 ft) · Asphalt
|
Comandante Espora Naval Air Base, designated BACE by the Argentine Navy, is located approximately 5 kilometers from Bahía Blanca, Argentina, and 25 kilometers from the Puerto Belgrano Naval Base. The military facility shares its infrastructure with the civil Comandante Espora Airport, also known as Bahía Blanca Airport.
Construction of the base began in the 1930s on grounds adjacent to the existing Bahía Blanca Airfield to replace the Puerto Belgrano Air Naval Base, which could not support newer aircraft entering the military inventory. The facility officially opened on 16 June 1939 and was named after Tomás Espora, a naval officer who fought in the 1810–1825 Argentine War of Independence. From 1945 to 1964, the base hosted the Naval Aviation School. In 1970, the Argentine Naval Aviation Command (Comando de la Aviación Naval) relocated its headquarters to the installation.
The installation was opened to civil and commercial aviation in 1968, replacing the civil airstrip at Villa Harding Green. Following expansions to the installations, the facility was released to commercial traffic linking southern Argentina in 1972. Further expansions completed in September 1977 enabled the facility to accommodate aircraft up to the size of a Boeing 767.
The base is operated by the Argentine Naval Aviation and houses the Naval Aviation Command. Joint civil operations continue at the facility, with commercial flights operated by Aerolíneas Argentinas and LADE utilizing the shared runways.
The Argentine Navy announced on August 20 the definitive retirement of its Dassault Super Étendard strike jets under Plan Dédalo, ending a 44-year career and leaving naval aviation with no fixed-wing combat aircraft.