In 1942, the Nicaraguan Government and Pan American Airways signed a contract to construct an airport by Las Mercedes Country Estate.By 1975, LANICA, Pan Am, KLM, TACA Airlines, Sahsa, Avianca, Iberia, SAM, TAN, Varig, and other carriers flew into Las Mercedes.Nicaraguan artist Róger Pérez de la Rocha has created two large portraits of Augusto César Sandino and Rubén Darío; both of them lie in the lobby.According to EAAI (Empresa Administradora de Aeropuertos Internacionales), ACS is the most modern airport in Central America and the 4th safest in the world.It had been reported in the recent past that the runway would be lengthened by 800 m (2,625 ft), but this project has not begun, despite the government's achievements in building new airports elsewhere in Nicaragua or greatly overhauling existing airport/airfield infrastructure in other locations as well.