📋 Table of Contents

🏢 One Terminal, Two Concourses, and a History That Changed Its Name Twice

Silvio Pettirossi is a single-terminal airport, and the terminal you use today opened on 20 March 1980. It splits into two concourses: a south concourse running gates 1 to 4, and a north concourse with gates 5 and 6. International and the handful of domestic services share the same building, so the airside footprint you walk is small — there is no inter-terminal train because there is no second terminal, and you can cross the whole departures airside in under five minutes.

The name has moved with Paraguayan politics. The airport is named after Silvio Pettirossi (1887–1916), a Paraguayan stunt aviator who flew loops over Buenos Aires and Paris before dying in a crash at 29 — the country put its first national aviator on its main airport. Between 1980 and 1989 the airport carried a different name entirely: “Aeropuerto Internacional Presidente Stroessner,” after Alfredo Stroessner, the dictator who ran Paraguay from 1954 to 1989. When the regime fell in 1989 the name reverted to Pettirossi, and that is the name on your boarding pass today. The original 1938-era terminal, near the threshold of runway 02, was inaugurated on 11 June 1938 and now belongs to the Paraguayan Air Force’s Grupo Aerotáctico rather than serving civilian passengers.

The most recent structural work finished on 26 May 2023, when renovation of the north concourse wrapped up and the arrivals hall was enlarged — useful, because the old arrivals area bottlenecked badly when two international flights landed within the same hour. A second passenger terminal has been on the drawing board since plans were unveiled in February 2021, but as of 2026 the single 1980 terminal is still what you fly through; treat any “new terminal” reference you see online as aspirational rather than operational.

A few orientation facts worth carrying. The airport sits in Luque, a separate city inside the Gran Asunción metro area, not in Asunción proper — your map app will show “Luque” and that is correct. The single runway is 3,353 m of asphalt, long enough for the widebodies Air Europa runs to Madrid. Cargo throughput was 23,158 tonnes in 2025. And the airport’s smallness cuts both ways: arrivals can clear in minutes when you land alone, but a double-bank of South American morning flights can stretch the immigration queue past 45 minutes, because there are only so many booths in a terminal this size.

The 2026 operational change to know: Paranair, one of the two Paraguay-based carriers, launches a new ASU–Iquique route into northern Chile from 2 August 2026, adding a Pacific-coast connection the airport did not previously have. Most route growth here is regional South American rather than long-haul; the single transatlantic nonstop remains Air Europa to Madrid.

🛂 Entry: Visa-Free for Most, the Guaraní, Special Fees and Yellow Fever

The visa picture, and what actually changed. For most Western passports, entry is straightforward: visa-free, 90 days, stamped on arrival. Citizens of the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand became visa-exempt on 12 October 2021, which replaced an older reciprocity-fee regime under which those nationalities previously paid to enter. This is the “recent change” travellers ask about — it has been in effect over four years now and is stable, but older guidebooks and forum posts still describe a US “visa fee” that no longer applies. EU member states, the UK, Switzerland, Norway, Japan, South Korea (30 days), Israel and most of South America are likewise visa-free. You need a passport valid for at least six months and, in principle, proof of onward travel; the 90-day stay can be extended once for another 90 days through the Dirección General de Migraciones before the original permit expires.

Pre-Registro Migratorio. Paraguay’s immigration service runs a free online pre-registration form (Pre-Registro Migratorio) at migraciones.gov.py: you fill in your data, receive a QR-coded certificate by email, and present it at the control booth to speed processing. It was built primarily for the busy land crossings (Puerto Falcón, the Friendship Bridge at Ciudad del Este, the San Roque González bridge at Encarnación) and air-arrival enforcement varies, so it is a useful time-saver rather than a hard requirement — complete it 48 hours ahead if you want to shave the queue, but do not panic if you arrive without it. Check that your entry stamp reads the correct date and shows your permitted stay before you leave the booth; fixing a missing or wrong stamp later is a Migraciones-office errand you do not want.

The guaraní. Paraguay’s currency is the guaraní (symbol ₲, code PYG), and it is one of South America’s high-denomination currencies — there has been no redenomination, so prices run into the hundreds of thousands and millions. As of 29 May 2026 the rate sits around ₲6,017 to the US dollar; through 2026 it has ranged roughly ₲6,000–6,850, averaging about ₲6,460. Notes run ₲2,000, ₲5,000, ₲10,000, ₲20,000, ₲50,000 and ₲100,000; the ₲100,000 note is worth roughly US$16, so a restaurant bill of ₲200,000 (about US$33) is ordinary, not alarming. There is no parallel “blue dollar” black-market rate of the kind Argentina runs — official rates are what you transact at, so change money at a casa de cambio in town or withdraw from an ATM rather than chasing a street rate that does not meaningfully exist here. The airport currency desks give poor rates; the airport ATMs charge a per-withdrawal fee around ₲25,000–30,000 (about US$4–5) and often cap a single withdrawal near US$200, so pull the maximum each time to dilute the fee.

Special fees and allowances. There is no separate tourist-arrival tax to pay in cash at ASU — international departure taxes are bundled into ticket prices. The personal duty-free import allowance is generous at roughly US$1,000 per traveller, a reflection of Paraguay’s long history as a regional shopping destination. Baggage carts in the terminal are free.

Yellow fever — conditional, not universal. This is the entry detail most travellers get wrong. Yellow fever vaccination is not required for everyone. It is required only for travellers aged 1 to 59 who are arriving from — or departing to — a yellow-fever risk country: in Paraguay’s rules that means principally Bolivia, Brazil, Peru and Venezuela (some guidance also lists Colombia and Guyana). If you fly in from Europe, the US, Argentina, Chile or Uruguay you do not need the certificate. If your itinerary touches Brazil or Bolivia on either side of Paraguay, you do, and the vaccine must be given at least 10 days before travel or you can be denied boarding. Children under 1 and adults over 59 are exempt regardless of route.

Health and the heat, not the altitude. Unlike its Andean neighbours, Paraguay is low-lying — Asunción sits near the Paraguay River at around 60 metres, so there is no altitude to acclimatise to and none of the soroche headache you would meet in Quito or La Paz. The real climate factor is heat and humidity: summer (December–February) routinely pushes past 38–40°C, and dengue is a periodic concern, so an insect repellent with DEET earns its place in your bag more than any altitude pill would. Tap water in Asunción is generally treated, but most visitors drink bottled to be safe.

🚆 Getting into Asunción: Apps, Taxis, Buses — Every Option Priced

There is no train and no airport metro — Asunción has no passenger rail at all — so your choice is rideshare app, official taxi, city bus, or a pre-booked private transfer. The airport-to-city run is about 16 km by road and takes 25 to 45 minutes depending on traffic; the morning and evening rush on the Luque–Asunción corridor can double the off-peak time.

Rideshare apps (Uber and Bolt) — the value pick. Both Uber and Bolt operate at ASU and across Asunción, and the app price is fixed before you accept, which removes the negotiation that taxis force on you. Expect roughly ₲35,000–70,000 (about US$6–11.50) into the city depending on whether you are headed to the nearer Villa Morra business district or the historic centre, and on surge. Off-peak fares can dip lower — riders have reported Bolt runs to downtown under ₲40,000. The catch: rideshare drivers are not always permitted to wait at the official taxi rank, so you may be asked to walk to a designated pickup point a short distance from the arrivals door. Open the app and request the car before you exit, then watch for the meeting-point instruction.

Official taxis — the convenient, costlier default. The yellow airport taxis queue directly outside arrivals and require no app. They are not metered for the airport run, so the fare is effectively fixed-by-zone or negotiated: budget around ₲105,000–150,000 (US$17–25) to the centre, more after 22:00 when a roughly 30% night surcharge applies (also on Sundays and holidays). Agree the price before the bags go in the boot. A taxi is the path of least resistance for a late-night arrival when the app supply thins and the bus has stopped running.

City bus Line 30 — the ₲2,400 option. The cheapest way in is the public bus: Line 30 connects the airport to the city and the ride downtown takes roughly 50 minutes. The fare is about ₲2,400 (a convencional bus without air-conditioning runs ₲2,300; a diferencial with A/C around ₲3,400) — i.e. under 50 US cents, against US$17+ for a taxi. The trade-off is time, luggage hassle and the payment system. Asunción has shifted to electronic ticketing (billetaje electrónico) using the rechargeable Jaha or Más cards, which cost about ₲25,000 to buy and are interchangeable across operators; the Jaha app does real-time GPS route tracking. Reports on the airport line specifically are mixed on whether cash is still accepted, so the safe play is to have a Jaha/Más card already loaded if you intend to bus it — verify the current payment rule before you rely on coins. This option suits a light-packing budget traveller with time, not a jet-lagged arrival hauling two suitcases.

Private transfers. Pre-booked door-to-door transfers through services like Welcome Pickups run roughly US$30–50 — more than a taxi, but you get a named driver holding a sign and a fixed price, which some travellers value after a long-haul arrival. Worth it only if certainty matters more than money.

Rental cars. All the major desks sit in arrivals, but picking up a car the moment you land is a poor first move: Asunción traffic is aggressive, lane discipline is loose, and you do not want your first Paraguayan driving experience to be the airport-rush corridor with jet lag. Rent later for the day-trips east if you want one, not for the airport run.

Quick comparison, airport to historic centre:

🛋️ Lounges: Two Real Ones, and the Premium Names That Aren’t Here

For an airport this size, the lounge offering is modest but workable if you hold the right card. The anchor is the Sala VIP Gold, located airside between gates 3 and 4 after passport control and security. It accepts Priority Pass members and admits non-members on a pay-in basis. House rules are worth knowing before you settle in: a maximum three-hour stay, complimentary alcoholic drinks capped at two per adult (and only for passengers 21 and over), children under 6 free, and a dress code that bars sandals, shorts and vests — unusual for a regional South American lounge, so dress accordingly if the lounge is your plan.

The second option is the Sala VIP Black, also airside past passport control near gate 4, available on a pay-in basis from around US$36 per person. It is the choice when you lack a lounge card but want a quiet seat, a power socket and a plate of food away from the gate-area bustle.

What is not here matters as much as what is. ASU has no American Express Centurion Lounge, no Plaza Premium, and no full carrier-flagship lounge of the kind you would find at a hub — the airport is too small and too low-volume to support them. If you are connecting on a premium-cabin long-haul ticket expecting an airline flagship, recalibrate: the Sala VIP Gold is the ceiling here, and a Priority Pass or DragonPass-type membership (or the ~US$36 walk-in) is your route in. There is also a paid fast-track service offered through third-party concierge providers for arrivals and departures, which can be worth it on a tight connection during a peak-hour immigration crush, but it is a bookable add-on rather than a lounge.

A practical note on timing: because the whole airside is small and the lounge enforces a three-hour ceiling, the lounges work best for a moderate connection of two to four hours. On a very long layover you may get more value leaving the airport entirely (see day-trips below) than sitting out the clock in a single room.

🍽️ Food & Duty-Free: Eat the Chipa, Skip the Markup

The airport’s food and retail are concentrated and unremarkable — a handful of cafés and counters landside and airside, plus the single duty-free room. The honest advice is to eat Paraguayan food in the city, where it is both better and a fraction of the price, and treat the airport counters as a top-up rather than a destination.

What to actually eat — and the airport-vs-town gap. Paraguayan cuisine is corn-and-cassava heavy and distinctive. Chipa is the national snack: a ring of cheese bread made from mandioca (cassava) starch and aniseed, sold by street vendors and on long-distance buses across the country for around ₲3,000–5,000 a piece from a town vendor — an airport café will charge several times that for a comparable item. Sopa paraguaya, despite the name, is not a soup but a dense, savoury cornbread baked with cornmeal, cheese, onion, milk and egg; chipa guazú is its corn-kernel cousin. Vorí vorí is a chicken broth thick with little cornmeal-and-cheese dumplings — proper cold-weather comfort food. The national obsession is asado, Paraguayan grilled beef, simply seasoned and taken seriously. To drink, the country runs on tereré: cold-brewed yerba mate steeped in iced water and herbs, sipped through a metal bombilla from a guampa and shared communally — you will see Asunceños carrying a thermos and a cup everywhere, all day.

Named places that exist, in town not the terminal. Two long-running downtown institutions are easy to verify and easy to reach if your layover takes you into the centre. Lido Bar, on Plaza de los Héroes opposite the Panteón, is a decades-old counter-service spot known for sopa paraguaya and a fish soup, caldo de pescado. Bolsi, open since 1960 and running 24 hours in downtown Asunción, does the standard Paraguayan repertoire — vorí vorí, sopa paraguaya, milanesas — plus bocaditos. For the full range and the lowest prices, Mercado 4, the city’s sprawling central market, has stalls cooking everything from mbeju to chipa guazú to soyo; the food is cheap and authentic, though the hygiene is variable and the market is a watch-your-bag environment, so go in daylight and stay alert. (I am naming only places I could confirm are operating; if you spot a recommendation elsewhere for a specific stall, verify it is still trading before you cross town for it.)

Duty-free. The duty-free is a single room rather than a shopping mall, but Paraguay’s whole identity as a low-tax, low-price regional market means electronics, spirits and perfume can be genuinely cheap — the US$1,000 personal import allowance exists precisely because Paraguay has long been where the region comes to shop. Compare a price or two against what you would pay at home before assuming the airport is automatically a deal; the bargains are real on some categories and ordinary on others.

💡 Insider Tips, Attractions & Day-Trips: What’s Reachable, What Isn’t

The first question on a connection is how much you can do without missing your flight. Here is the honest math.

Layover math. Door to door, the airport-to-centre run is 25–45 minutes each way by car, plus you need to be back through check-in and security with a buffer — call it a 60-minute return-leg cushion. So a city excursion needs a minimum of roughly four hours of layover to be worth it (≈45 min in, time in the city, ≈45 min back, ≈60 min airport buffer), and is comfortable at five-plus. Below four hours, stay airside and use the lounge.

In the city (feasible on a 4–6 hour layover). Asunción’s historic centre is compact and walkable. The Panteón Nacional de los Héroes, a small domed mausoleum on Plaza de los Héroes holding the remains of national figures, sits about seven blocks along Calle Palma from the centre. The riverside Costanera promenade fills with locals at sunset for a stroll along the Paraguay River and is walkable from downtown. Loma San Jerónimo, a painted hillside barrio of brightly coloured houses, is right by the centre. The Palacio de los López, the presidential palace, anchors the waterfront. None of these costs more than a bus fare and a short walk, and you can string two or three together in two hours on the ground.

Half-day from a long layover (feasible on a 7-hour-plus layover or an overnight). Two lakeside towns east of Asunción are close enough to attempt if you have most of a day. Areguá, an artsy lakeside town on Lago Ypacaraí known for ceramics and strawberries, is about 31 km / roughly 45 minutes from the city. San Bernardino, Paraguay’s so-called summer capital on the same lake, is about 42 km / 50–60 minutes by car. Either works as a half-day escape on a genuinely long layover or an overnight — but be realistic about adding the airport-to-city leg on top, which pushes the real round-trip toward five or six hours.

Not layover-feasible — say it plainly. The brochures will dangle Paraguay’s two famous draws as if they were close. They are not. The Itaipú Dam, the binational hydroelectric giant on the Brazil border, is near Ciudad del Este, about 327 km east of Asunción — a five-to-six-hour drive each way, an overnight trip minimum, not a connection activity. The UNESCO Jesuit Missions at Trinidad and Jesús de Tavarangué, the best-preserved Jesuit-reduction ruins in the country, sit near Encarnación about 370 km south — the bus alone is around 6.5 hours each way, so this is a two-or-three-day add-on from Asunción, full stop. If someone sells you an “Itaipú day-trip from your layover,” they are selling you a missed flight. These are trips you build a Paraguay itinerary around, not things you slot between landings.

One genuine itinerary tip. If you are connecting through ASU specifically to start a Paraguay trip, the logical eastward arc is Asunción → the Ypacaraí lake towns (a day) → Encarnación and the Jesuit ruins (overnight, with the Trinidad evening light show worth timing for) → Ciudad del Este and Itaipú (overnight) → out via the Friendship Bridge into Brazil if you are continuing to Iguazú. Trinidad’s ruins are about 30 km from Encarnación on Ruta 6 with hourly local buses, so you do not need a car once you are down there.

🔧 Practical Notes — Connectivity, Currency, Safety

WiFi and SIMs. The terminal has free WiFi (branded around the Tigo network). For a local SIM, Tigo and Personal both run kiosks in the airport selling tourist data packs — figure around US$10–15 for a few GB — but the kiosks can be shut for late-night arrivals, so if you land after midnight you may have to buy in town the next day. Paraguay’s mobile coverage is solid in Asunción and the eastern corridor; sparse in the Chaco.

Cash, cards and tipping. Cards are widely accepted in Asunción restaurants and hotels, but carry guaraní cash for buses, market stalls, small cafés and taxis. ATM fees at the airport are steep (₲25,000–30,000 per withdrawal, ~US$200 cap), so withdraw the maximum and ideally use a bank ATM in town for a better deal. Tipping is modest: roughly 10% at a sit-down restaurant if service was good, and ₲5,000–10,000 (under US$1.50) for a porter. Rounding up a taxi is appreciated but not expected.

Safety, honestly. Asunción is comparatively calm by Latin American capital standards, but petty theft is the live risk, not violent crime against tourists. The areas to keep your wits about are Mercado 4 and its surrounds (pickpocketing, daylight only, watch your bag) and the micro-centre after dark when it empties out. Use registered taxis or the apps at night rather than walking unfamiliar downtown blocks late. The border city of Ciudad del Este, if your trip takes you east, is a high-commerce, higher-petty-crime zone — fine in daylight with normal caution, less so after dark.

Water and heat. Tap water in Asunción is treated and generally considered safe, but most visitors drink bottled, especially outside the capital. The bigger health factor is the summer heat (38–40°C is normal December–February) and mosquito-borne dengue in the wet season — repellent and hydration do more for you here than anything else.

Language. Spanish is universal, but Paraguay is genuinely bilingual: Guaraní is co-official and spoken by most of the population, often mixed with Spanish into “jopará.” A few words of Spanish go a long way; nobody expects Guaraní from a visitor, but a “mba’éichapa” (how are you) lands well.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

📊 2026 Summary Data Table