# Gral. Bernardo O´Higgins Airport (YAI)

> Chillan, CL · IATA: YAI · ICAO: SCCH · Medium Airport

## Quick Facts

| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| IATA | `YAI` |
| ICAO | `SCCH` |
| City | Chillan |
| Country | CL |
| Type | Medium Airport |
| Elevation | 151 m |
| Cargo | ❌ |
| GPS | -36.58250, -72.03140 |

## Description

Despite sitting in the middle of Chile's agricultural Ñuble region, Gral. Bernardo O'Higgins Airport (YAI/SCCH) at Chillán carries neither scheduled nor cargo traffic. In April 2026 a demand study commissioned by the public works ministry from consultants CIS Asociados concluded that the technical and economic conditions for permanent commercial flights are not currently met, and minister Martín Arrau confirmed in May 2026 that other projects take priority. Scheduled service would require a longer runway, wider taxiways and the installation of fuelling and landing aid systems, although the ministry has committed to progressive upgrades of the operational standard. Wine, fruit and berries from Ñuble therefore continue to travel by truck to the Santiago (SCL) cargo hub roughly 400 kilometres north, where customs clearance, cold chain and long-haul capacity are available. Concepción-Carriel Sur (CCP) to the south is the nearer airport with domestic service. For forwarders, YAI is a general-aviation field rather than a freight point.

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*Freight Academy — Airport Profile: [https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/airports/gral-bernardo-ohiggins-airport-yai](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/airports/gral-bernardo-ohiggins-airport-yai)*

*Markdown mirror: [https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/airports/en/gral-bernardo-ohiggins-airport-yai](https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/airports/en/gral-bernardo-ohiggins-airport-yai)*

*LLM-Summary (JSON): https://www.freight-academy.com/api/v1/airports/gral-bernardo-ohiggins-airport-yai/llm-summary*