Capitan Oriel Lea Plaza Airport: Getting into Tarija

Capitán Oriel Lea Plaza Airport serves Tarija, Bolivia. Its IATA code is TJA and its ICAO code is SLTJ. The airport is administered by Navegación Aérea y Aeropuertos Bolivianos (NAABOL), and a Bolivian government project document places it at 21°32'53.90" south, 64°42'34.54" west, at an altitude of 1,924 metres.

The airport has a long connection to aviation in Tarija. It existed before the Chaco War and was among the early destinations of Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano, founded in 1925.

During the war, it served as an important air base for the Bolivian Air Force’s IV Air Brigade, rather than as a commercial airport. It was named in honor of aviation captain Oriel Lea Plaza on 20 July 1944.

Work on the terminal began in 1969. The terminal closed from 1977 to 1980 and was renovated in the mid-1980s. NAABOL describes the airport as historically important during the Chaco War and says modernization has improved passenger services.

That background helps explain the airport’s role in the city, while the practical choice for arriving passengers remains how to continue into Tarija.

Taxi is an option for the trip into the city. Tarija’s tourism information site lists these radio-mobile services and contact numbers:

• Radio Móvil 15 de Abril: +591 46655500
• Radio Móvil Andaluz: +591 69305088 or +591 46633010
• Radio Móvil Full Móvil: +591 466 63030

The airport can also be reached from Tarija city by taxi, and Micro line A runs between the airport and the city center at Mercado Central. For urban microbus and taxi-trufi routes, Tarija’s tourism information site points passengers to the “Rutas Tarija” app.

Check the route information there if you plan to use local public transport; the available facts do not give a timetable or journey duration for the line.

If you are arranging a pickup by car, NAABOL lists a Bs 2 vehicle toll for four-wheel cars. Closed parking costs Bs 20 for the first 24 hours, with no fractional-day billing; motorcycle parking costs Bs 5. These charges may affect your pickup or parking plans, so confirm the current arrangements before relying on them.

From Terravina Hotel del Vino, Capitan Oriel Lea Plaza Airport is about 16 minutes by car or 54 minutes on foot.

These are the available journey times between the hotel and airport, not a general estimate for every trip into Tarija. Your destination and choice of transport will shape the journey; no taxi fare or airport-to-city travel time is specified here.

For a public-transport journey, the useful next step is to check Micro line A and the city routes in “Rutas Tarija” rather than assume a particular frequency.

If you are using a radio-mobile taxi, contact a listed service to arrange the details. The sources provided do not state whether these services have airport ranks or how far in advance to book.

NAABOL lists free Wi-Fi among the airport’s services. It also publishes a passenger-assistance document with service hours of 06:00–22:20; those hours describe the assistance service and do not establish the airport’s full operating hours.

Separately, the ATT lists customer-service hours at the airport as 08:00–21:00, Sunday through Friday, subject to changes based on scheduled air operations. That schedule applies to the ATT service desk, not to airport opening hours.

Before you set off, check the official site before you go: NAABOL publishes airport information, including service details and vehicle charges. For transport beyond the airport, consult “Rutas Tarija” for local routes or contact a radio-mobile taxi service. These checks can help you distinguish airport services from public transport and customer-service desk hours.

Casa Dorada is one nearby point of interest; the guide to visiting Casa Dorada in Tarija covers what to know before going. You can also plan time for the city’s museums with this practical guide to museums near central Tarija.

These links are useful for pairing an arrival plan with places to visit, without assuming a particular transport schedule or how long a visit will take.