Howard Air Force Base
| Howard Air Force Base | |
|---|---|
| Part of Air Combat Command | |
| Located near Balboa, Panama | |
Howard Air Force Base, Canal Zone, about 1970 | |
| Site information | |
| Type | Public |
| Controlled by | United States Air Force |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 8°54′54″N 79°35′58″W / 8.91500°N 79.59944°W |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1939 |
| In use | 1942-1999 |
Howard Air Force Base (IATA: BLB, ICAO: MPHO) is a former United States Air Force base located in Panama. It discontinued military operations on 1 November 1999 as a result of the Torrijos-Carter Treaties, which specified that US military facilities in the former Panama Canal Zone be closed and the facilities be turned over to the Panamanian government.
The airport is located 9.7 kilometres (6.0 mi) southwest of Balboa, at the southern (Pacific) end of the Panama Canal. Most of the area around it was uninhabited and formed part of the Panama Canal Zone watershed, although Panama City could be reached by crossing the nearby Bridge of the Americas.
After demilitarization, the facility reopened as Panamá Pacífico International Airport in 2014.