Aeropuerto Internacional de Carrasco, officially General Cesáreo L. Berisso International Airport, is Uruguay’s principal international airport and the main gateway to Montevideo. It serves the capital and its metropolitan area, although the terminal itself lies in Ciudad de la Costa, in the department of Canelones, roughly 20 kilometres east of central Montevideo. Its airport code is MVD, and it handles the country’s principal international air connections.
For most visitors, the simplest access is by taxi, airport transfer or hire car. The terminal is reached from Ruta 101, which connects with the wider road network around Montevideo; the journey from the city centre commonly takes around 30-60 minutes, depending on traffic. Local and interurban buses also serve the airport, making public transport a practical lower-cost option, although a taxi or pre-booked transfer is generally more convenient with luggage or an early flight.
The airport opened in 1947 and gradually became the centre of Uruguay’s civil aviation system. Its present identity is also linked to General Cesáreo L. Berisso, an important figure in Uruguayan aviation who helped establish the airport and was among the early pioneers associated with its site. In 2003, the government transferred its administration and operation to Puerta del Sur, which undertook a major modernisation programme.
The most visible result of that transformation is the striking terminal designed by Uruguayan architect Rafael Viñoly. Construction began in 2007, the building was inaugurated in 2009, and full operations started on 29 December that year. With its broad, curved roof and generous glass frontage, the terminal feels more like a civic gateway than a purely functional transport building, making it an especially memorable first and last impression of Uruguay.
Aeropuerto Internacional de Carrasco
Montevideo
Uruguay
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