La Paz Airport (LPB) Information

Where is La Paz Airport?  

Founded by Spanish conquistadors in 1548, La Paz, Bolivia, sits in a bowl surrounded by high mountains. Here, geography and altitude reflect society: the lower areas are home to the more affluent, while the surrounding hills are plastered with makeshift brick houses of the less affluent.

The La Paz Metropolitan area, formed by the cities of La Paz, El Alto, and Viacha, is home to 2.4 million, making it Bolivia's most populous urban area.

La Paz International Airport (IATA: LPB, ICAO: SLLP), officially La Paz El Alto International Airport, also referred to as La Paz El Alto Airport, El Alto Airport, or simply La Paz Airport, is located in the city of El Alto, 13 kilometres (8 miles) southwest of the city of La Paz, in La Paz Department, Bolivia.

LPB Airport serves about 800,000 passengers a year.

Airlines that fly to La Paz Airport include Aerocon, Amaszonas, American Airlines, Avianca, Boliviana de Aviación, LAN Airlines, LAN Perú, Sky Airline and TAM – Transporte Aéreo Militar (not to be confused with Brazil's TAM Airlines).

Note that TAM – Transporte Aéreo Militar (Military Air Transport) is owned by the Bolivian Air Force, and operates in competition with commercial airlines on many domestic routes (flights are occasionally known to operate from a military base, so check your ticket).

Ciries with flights to La Paz Airport include Arica, Bogotá, Buenos Aires, Cobija, Cochabamba, Cuzco, Iquique, Lima, Madrid, Miami, Potosi, Riberalta, Rurrenabaque, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Santiago de Chile, Sucre, Tarija, Uyuni and Washington DC.

Your best bet for a La Paz Airport transfer is a taxi. Details on all options are included in this guide.

Or, to truly arrive stress free, treat yourself to a private La Paz El Alto Airport transfer from IHateTaxis.

La Paz Airport is the world's highest international airport, at 4,058 metres (13,313 feet) above sea level, almost half as high as a jetliner's cruising altitude. Takeoffs require a longer runway due to the thin air.

 

Tip: Take your time as you get off the plane, don't rush to avoid line-ups. If you rush, you will be seriously out of breath and may suffer medical complications (some people suffer altitude sickness upon arriving). Just walk slowly to the immigration area.

 

La Paz Airport services include:

• Duty free shopping
• Restaurants and bars

 

There is an airport departure tax of USD 25 (about 174 BOB) for international flights, less for domestic flights (BOB 15). The tax must be paid in cash, but several ATMs which give out USD are available in the terminal.

Additional La Paz Airport information may be found by visiting their official website below.

• Official LPB La Paz International Airport Website