Acapulco International Airport

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 2022, the airport handled 838,991 passengers, and in 2023 it handled 894,012 passengers.

Acapulco International Airport Aeropuerto Internacional de Acapulco
IATA: ACA ICAO: MMAA
Summary
Airport type	Public
Owner/Operator	Grupo Aeroportuario Centro Norte
Serves	Acapulco, Guerrero, Mexico
Time zone	CST (UTC-06:00)
Elevation AMSL	4 m / 13 ft
Coordinates	16°45′21.7″N 99°45′05.8″W / 16.756028°N 99.751611°W / 16.756028; -99.751611
Website	www.oma.aero/es/pasajeros/acapulco/
Map
ACA Location of the airport in Guerrero Show map of Guerrero ACA ACA (Mexico) Show map of Mexico
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 06/24 1,700 5,577 Concrete 10/28 3,302 10,832 Concrete
Statistics (2023)
Total passengers 894,012 Ranking in Mexico 29th 3
Source: Grupo Aeroportuario Centro Norte

 

 

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. 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.

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.

 

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. 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.

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.

 

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.

 

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.

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.

Passenger

Destination maps

Acapulco   Monterrey   Mexico City   Mexico City-AIFA   Tijuana   Guadalajara   Cancún class=notpageimage| Domestic destinations from Acapulco International Airport Red = Year-round destination Blue = Future destination Green = Seasonal destination

Acapulco   Toronto-Pearson   Dallas/Fort Worth   Montréal-Trudeau class=notpageimage| International destinations from Acapulco International Airport Red = Year-round destination Blue = Future destination Green = Seasonal destination

 

Passengers

Annual traffic

 

 

 

 

Annual passenger traffic at Acapulco International Airport (2001–2022)

Year	Passengers	% change	Domestic passengers	% change	International passengers	% change
2001	940 197	7.6%	569 195	3.3%	371 002	20.6%
2002	793 420	15.6%	523 172	8.0%	270 248	27.1%
2003	774 349	2.4%	527 208	0.7%	247 141	8.5%
2004	821 301	6.0%	542 437	2.8%	278 864	12.8%
2005	880 190	7.1%	554 988	2.3%	325 202	16.6%
2006	994 393	13.0%	638 543	15.1%	355 850	9.4%
2007	1 057 332	6.3%	740 289	15.9%	317 043	10.9%
2008	1 087 974	2.9%	818 671	10.6%	269 303	15.1%
2009	839 048	22.9%	636 418	22.3%	202 630	24.8%
2010	736 878	12.2%	547 420	14.0%	189 458	6.5%
2011	596 326	19.1%	495 018	9.6%	101 308	46.5%
2012	546 951	8.2%	486 268	1.7%	60 683	40.1%
2013	617 079	12.9%	560 945	15.4%	56 134	7.5%
2014	631 570	2.3%	576 042	2.7%	55 528	1.1%
2015	730 382	15.7%	677 698	17.7%	52 684	5.1%
2016	718 493	1.7%	664 418	2.0%	54 075	2.6%
2017	673 809	6.2%	631 829	4.9%	53 295	1.4%
2018	739 120	9.7%	681 587	7.9%	57 533	8.0%
2019	875 315	18.4%	814 636	19.5%	60 679	5.5%
2020	395 948	54.8%	361 029	55.7%	34 919	42.5%
2021	670 239	69.3%	623 763	72.8%	46 476	33.1%
2022	838 991	25.2%	773 846	24.1%	65 145	40.2%
2023	894 012	6.6%	838 123	8.3%	55 889	14.2%

Busiest routes

 

Busiest routes from Acapulco International Airport (2023)

Rank	City	Passengers	Ranking	Airline
1	Mexico City, Mexico City	230,260		Aeroméxico, Aeroméxico Connect, Volaris, Viva Aerobus
2	Baja California, Tijuana	74,300		Volaris
3	Jalisco, Guadalajara	43,154	1	Volaris
4	State of Mexico, Mexico City-AIFA	32,345		Aeroméxico Connect, Viva Aerobus, Volaris
5	Nuevo León, Monterrey	20,460	2	Magni, Viva Aerobus
6	Quintana Roo, Cancún	13,579	1	Viva Aerobus
7	Canada, Montréal-Trudeau	4,955	2	Air Transat, Sunwing Airlines
8	United States, Houston-Intercontinental	4,955		United Express
9	Guanajuato, León/El Bajío	3,128		Volaris
10	United States, Dallas/Fort Worth	2,752	2	American Eagle

 

• List of the busiest airports in Mexico
• List of airports in Mexico
• List of airports by ICAO code: M
• List of busiest airports in North America
• List of the busiest airports in Latin America
• Transportation in Mexico
• Tourism in Mexico
• Grupo Aeroportuario Centro Norte
• List of beaches in Mexico
• Triangle of the Sun
• Kangaroo Route