Acapulco International Airport

Aeropuerto Internacional de Acapulco
Summary
Airport typePublic
Owner/OperatorGrupo Aeroportuario Centro Norte
ServesAcapulco, Guerrero, Mexico
Time zoneCST (UTC-06:00)
Elevation AMSL4 m / 13 ft
Coordinates16°45′21.7″N 99°45′05.8″W / 16.756028°N 99.751611°W / 16.756028; -99.751611
Websitewww.oma.aero/es/pasajeros/acapulco/
Map
ACA is located in Guerrero
ACA
ACA
Location of the airport in Guerrero
ACA is located in Mexico
ACA
ACA
ACA (Mexico)
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
06/24 1,700 5,577 Concrete
10/28 3,302 10,832 Concrete
Statistics (2022)
Total passengers838,991
Ranking in Mexico26th Decrease 1
Source: Grupo Aeroportuario Centro Norte[1]

Acapulco International Airport (Spanish: Aeropuerto Internacional de Acapulco), officially Aeropuerto Internacional General Juan N. Álvarez (General Juan N. Álvarez International Airport) (IATA: ACA, ICAO: MMAA), is an international airport located in Acapulco, Guerrero, Mexico. It serves as a gateway to Acapulco, a popular Mexican tourist destination. The airport also serves charter flights and facilitates various tourism-related activities, flight training, and general aviation. It is named in honor of Juan N. Álvarez, former President of Mexico. The airport is operated by Grupo Aeroportuario Centro Norte (OMA). In 2021, the airport handled 670,239 passengers, and in 2022 it handled 838,991 passengers.[2]

History

Passenger terminal
Satellite view of the airport location

In 1929, commercial flights began in Acapulco, near Playa Hornos in the city center. Aeronaves de Mexico (now Aeromexico) initiated its operations in 1934, using a single Stinson SR aircraft for flights between Mexico City and Acapulco.[3] However, the initial location posed safety challenges, leading to the construction of a safer airport in Pie de la Cuesta in 1945.

Jetset era

Acapulco Airport has played a significant role in the development of tourism in southern Mexico. Acapulco, a well-established coastal tourist destination in Mexico, experienced a period of high popularity from the 1940s to the 1970s. It became the preferred destination for the Jetset, Hollywood celebrities, and wealthy individuals seeking exclusive beach vacations in an exotic setting. During this surge in popularity, the decision was made to construct a new airport and transfer the Pie de la Cuesta facilities to the Mexican Air Force, now known as Air Force Base No. 7.[4]

The current Acapulco Airport, constructed in 1954, is situated 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) southeast of the city center, positioned between Tres Palos Lagoon and the Pacific Ocean in a zone known as Plan de los Amates. It was once considered a pioneering model for subsequent airport constructions due to its modern passenger terminal design and the fact that it was one of the first airports built with comprehensive planning and foresight.

Old terminal

The Acapulco Airport received flights from numerous international destinations, primarily from the United States and Canada. It was one of the few airports, apart from Mexico City, that was served by major United States airlines such as Eastern, Braniff, and American. For a brief period, it was a stopover on the Kangaroo air route connecting Australia and the United Kingdom via the Eastern Hemisphere. This route, known as the "Fiesta" route, involved flights from London to Sydney with layovers in Bermuda, Nassau, Mexico City, Acapulco, Tahiti, and Fiji in 1965.[5] Several other airlines, including Delta, Alaska Airlines, Air Canada, Alitalia, LTU, Northwest, US Airways, Western, Mexicana, and Aeromar, have also operated at this airport.

Between 1970 and 1973, the airport underwent significant construction and improvement projects, including the construction of a new, air-conditioned passenger terminal, a new parking area, an access road, a control tower, an apron, taxiways, perimeter roads, fencing, and facilities for fuel storage.

21st century

However, in the 21st century, the Mexican Drug War has had a detrimental effect on tourism in Acapulco, resulting in a decline in the airport's importance as an international gateway. The airport reached its peak in terms of passenger numbers in 2008 but has since been experiencing a decline. In 2018, the terminal was renovated, with the construction of a new terminal building adjacent to the old one, with plans to eventually demolish the old structure.[6][7]

Furthermore, the airport has been subjected to the impact of hurricanes on multiple occasions. In 2013, Tropical Storm Manuel led to severe flooding at the airport, which forced the suspension of airport activities for several days. In 2023, Hurricane Otis, classified as a Category 5 hurricane, caused extensive damage at the airport when it made landfall nearby.

Terminal diagram

Facilities

The airport covers an area of 450 hectares (1,100 acres). It is situated at an elevation of 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) above mean sea level. The airport has two runways: Runway 06/24, which is 1,700 metres (5,600 ft) long and 35 metres (115 ft) wide, and Runway 10/28, which is 3,300 metres (10,800 ft) long and 45 metres (148 ft) wide. Both runways can accommodate up to 40 operations per hour, and the airport can handle jets as large as the Boeing 747. Additionally, the airport has six taxiways leading to an apron with 18 parking positions.

The passenger terminal is a two-story building with a total floor area of 19,000 square metres (200,000 sq ft) and an annual passenger capacity of 1.3 million. It combines concrete and steel structures with extensive interior and exterior gardens, sleek windows, high ceilings, and steel accents in clear geometric shapes.[8][9]

Departures concourse

The main hall serves essential functions, including check-in and baggage handling on the eastern side, and the arrivals section on the west side, which includes customs and immigration facilities. The arrivals section also offers car rental services, taxi stands, snack bars, and souvenir shops. The upper floor of the terminal houses the security checkpoint and a 3,600 square metres (39,000 sq ft) departure lounge equipped with a food court, duty-free shops, a VIP lounge, and a concourse with six gates, three of which are equipped with jet bridges.[10]

Adjacent to the terminal, there are other facilities such as civil aviation hangars, cargo and logistics companies, and courier services. Additionally, there is a dedicated general aviation terminal that supports various activities, including tourism, flight training, executive aviation, and general aviation.

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

AirlinesDestinations
Aeroméxico Mexico City
Aeroméxico ConnectMexico City, Mexico City–AIFA
Air TransatSeasonal: Montréal–Trudeau
American EagleSeasonal: Dallas/Fort Worth
MagniMonterrey
Mexicana de Aviación Mexico City–AIFA[11]
Sunwing AirlinesSeasonal: Montréal–Trudeau, Toronto–Pearson
Viva Aerobus Cancún, Mexico City, Mexico City–AIFA, Monterrey
Volaris Guadalajara, León/El Bajío, Mexico City, Mexico City–AIFA, Tijuana

Destination maps

Domestic destinations from Acapulco International Airport
Red = Year-round destination
Blue = Future destination
Green = Seasonal destination
International destinations from Acapulco International Airport
Red = Year-round destination
Blue = Future destination
Green = Seasonal destination

Statistics

Main hall

Passengers

Acapulco Airport Passengers. See Wikidata query.

Annual traffic

Check-in area
Check-in area
Baggage claim area
Departures lounge
Annual passenger traffic at Acapulco International Airport (2001–2022)[12][13]
YearPassengers % changeDomestic
passengers		 % changeInternational
passengers		 % change
2001940 197Decrease 7.6%569 195Increase 3.3%371 002Decrease 20.6%
2002793 420Decrease 15.6%523 172Decrease 8.0%270 248Decrease 27.1%
2003774 349Decrease 2.4%527 208Increase 0.7%247 141Decrease 8.5%
2004821 301Increase 6.0%542 437Increase 2.8%278 864Increase 12.8%
2005880 190Increase 7.1%554 988Increase 2.3%325 202Increase 16.6%
2006994 393Increase 13.0%638 543Increase 15.1%355 850Increase 9.4%
20071 057 332Increase 6.3%740 289Increase 15.9%317 043Decrease 10.9%
20081 087 974Increase 2.9%818 671Increase 10.6%269 303Decrease 15.1%
2009839 048Decrease 22.9%636 418Decrease 22.3%202 630Decrease 24.8%
2010736 878Decrease 12.2%547 420Decrease 14.0%189 458Decrease 6.5%
2011596 326Decrease 19.1%495 018Decrease 9.6%101 308Decrease 46.5%
2012546 951Decrease 8.2%486 268Decrease 1.7%60 683Decrease 40.1%
2013617 079Increase 12.9%560 945Increase 15.4%56 134Decrease 7.5%
2014631 570Increase 2.3%576 042Increase 2.7%55 528Decrease 1.1%
2015730 382Increase 15.7%677 698Increase 17.7%52 684Decrease 5.1%
2016718 493Decrease 1.7%664 418Decrease 2.0%54 075Increase 2.6%
2017673 809Decrease 6.2%631 829 Decrease 4.9%53 295 Decrease 1.4%
2018739 120Increase 9.7%681 587 Increase 7.9%57 533 Increase 8.0%
2019875 315Increase 18.4%814 636Increase 19.5%60 679Increase 5.5%
2020395 948Decrease 54.8%361 029Decrease 55.7%34 919Decrease 42.5%
2021670 239Increase 69.3%623 763Increase 72.8%46 476Increase 33.1%
2022838 991Increase 25.2%773 846Increase 24.1%65 145Increase 40.2%

Busiest routes

Departures lounge
Busiest domestic routes at Acapulco International Airport (2021)[14]
Rank City Passengers Ranking Airline
1  Mexico City, Mexico City 204,716 Steady Aeroméxico, Aeroméxico Connect, Volaris, VivaAerobús
2  Baja California, Tijuana 52,244 Steady Volaris
3  Nuevo León, Monterrey 20,628 Steady Magni, VivaAerobús
4  Jalisco, Guadalajara 14,317 Steady Volaris
5  Quintana Roo, Cancún 11,392 Increase 1 VivaAerobús

See also

Baggage claim area

References

Baggage claim area
Terminal airside
  1. ↑ "OMA reports 2.3 million passenger traffic in December 2022" (PDF; 292 KB). oma.aero. Grupo Aeroportuario del Centro Norte S.A.B. de C.V. 5 January 2023. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  2. ↑ "Passenger's Traffic" (PDF). Grupo Aeroportuario Centro Norte (in Spanish). January 2023. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
  3. ↑ "Stinson Reliant SR-5A, joya aeronáutica" (in Spanish).
  4. ↑ "AEROPUERTOS. Historia de la construcción, operación y administración aeroportuaria en México" (PDF) (in Spanish).
  5. ↑ "From Twelve Days To Non-Stop In 20 Hours".
  6. ↑ "OMA invertirá 547 mdp en nueva terminal de Aeropuerto de Acapulco • Forbes México". Forbes México (in Mexican Spanish). 13 June 2016. Retrieved 3 October 2020.
  7. ↑ "¡La nueva terminal del Aeropuerto de #Acapulco, a la altura de la belleza incomparable del puerto!". Mexican Government (in Spanish). 25 May 2018. Retrieved 3 October 2020.
  8. ↑ "OMA opens new terminal in Mexico".
  9. ↑ "Acapulco Airport Opens New Terminal". Travel Agent Central. 30 May 2018. Retrieved 3 October 2020.
  10. ↑ "Acapulco Adding New Terminal to Airport".
  11. ↑ "These Are Our Destinations". Mexicana (in Spanish). October 2022. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  12. ↑ "Investor Relations". Grupo Aeroportuario Centro Norte de México. January 2017. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
  13. ↑ "Passenger's Traffic". Grupo Aeroportuario Centro Norte de México. January 2017. Archived from the original (XLS) on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
  14. ↑ "Statistics". Secretaría de Comunicaciones y Transportes (in Spanish). January 2022. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
Passenger terminal
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