# El Salvador International Airport

El Salvador International Airport Saint Óscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdámez (Spanish: Aeropuerto Internacional de El Salvador San Óscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdámez), (IATA: SAL, ICAO: MSLP), previously known as Comalapa International Airport (Aeropuerto Internacional de Comalapa) and as Comalapa Air Base (Base Aérea de Comalapa) to the military, is a joint-use civilian and military airport that serves San Salvador, El Salvador. It is located in the south central area of the country, in the city of San Luis Talpa, Department of La Paz, and occupies a triangle of 2,519.8 acres (1,019.7 ha), bordered by the Pacific Ocean on the south and the Jiboa River on the east, with the coastal highway to the northwest. It is close to sea level allowing aircraft to operate efficiently at maximum capacity. It is connected to the capital of San Salvador, El Salvador, by a four-lane motorway, with 42 kilometres (26 mi) travel in an average time of 30 minutes.
It is third in Central America in movement of passengers with 3,411,015 annually, counted without methodology, suggested by International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). It is classified as category 1 by the Federal Aviation Administration of the United States (FAA) and is certified by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the first airport on the isthmus to achieve these certifications. In the Skytrax World Airport Awards 2015, it was recognized as the third best airport in Central America and the Caribbean. According to the World Economic Forum, it has the second most competitive infrastructure in the region, achieving a score of 4.8 out of 7. In addition, ICAO recognizes it as having one of the best security standards on the continent, only exceeded by airports in the United States and Canada.

## History

The airport was built in the late 1970s to replace its predecessor, Ilopango International Airport, which is now used for regional, air taxi, military, and charter aviation. The airport was built on the initiative and request of then-President Colonel Arturo Armando Molina. Funding for this project was provided through the Government of Japan, Engineering and building came under the direction of Hazama Ando (then Hazama Gumi). The electrical work for all lighting and communications was completed by Toshiba (then Tokyo Shibaura Electric). The airport entered in operation on 31 January 1980 as Cuscatlán International Airport (Spanish: Aeropuerto Internacional Cuscatlán), with its first flight being a TACA airliner bound for Guatemala City.
In 1995, the Salvadoran company B&B Arquitectos Asociados designed the expansion of waiting rooms and boarding bridges, of which only the area located to the west was built. The airport is the only connection center in Central America, or hub, for the airline Avianca, and also serves other airlines that fly to almost 30 destinations between Central America, North America, South America and Europe. Since 1998 when the first expansion of the airport occurred (AIES II), the airport has been suffering from saturation in areas of check-in, screening, immigration and baggage as it continues to serve more than 2 million passengers arriving each year. In late 2012, the Autonomous Port Executive Commission (CEPA) began their rehabilitation, modernization and optimization project for the airport, which was completed in April 2015.
On 16 January 2014, President Mauricio Funes announced that the airport would be renamed after Monsignor Óscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdámez, but it is still commonly known as El Salvador International Airport (Spanish: Aeropuerto Internacional de El Salvador). The Legislature of El Salvador approved the name change on 19 March 2014, without the vote of the Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA) or the National Coalition Party (PCN), to Monseñor Óscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdámez International Airport. On 24 March 2014, Funes unveiled a ceremonial plaque to mark the official renaming. The airport was renamed to Saint Óscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdámez International Airport on 29 October 2018 by the Commission of Culture and Education after Romero was canonized as a saint by the Catholic Church on 14 October of the same year.

## Airport infrastructure

Saint Óscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdámez International Airport serves as the main hub for TACA Airlines, now Avianca El Salvador, and Volaris El Salvador. The cargo terminal, located a few dozen meters west of the passenger terminal, handles millions of tons of cargo each year. The airport is located about 50 km (31 mi) from the city of San Salvador. Roads connect the airport with the city. It handles international flights to Central America, North America, South America and Europe including flights to Spain.
When the airport was built, it originally had only 7 gates. It was designed to handle around 400,000 passengers a year, but the high increase of passengers in the last 15 years brought the airport to its maximum capacity. The airport has had two main expansions in the last decade or so. In its first phase (named AIES I), the airport grew from 7 boarding gates to 12, and later the second phase, AIES II, added 5 more gates bringing the total to 17. Along with new gates, new expanded passenger waiting areas were built. Even though all these expansions have been made, the airport once again has reached the peak of its capacity, handling over 2 million passengers in 2006. In February 2022, a brand new terminal building was inaugurated with five gates and the first gate with double boarding jetways in the airport. The new terminal building segregates arriving passengers, connecting, and departing passengers.
The airport has a main runway (07/25) 3,200 m × 45 m (10,499 ft × 148 ft), with an effective running surface of 45 m (148 ft) and 7.5 m (25 ft) shoulders. Parallel to the main track and the same length as this, is the taxiway Alpha, which is connected to the track through six starts. For the use of small aircraft, there is also a secondary runway (18/36), 800 m × 23 m (2,625 ft × 75 ft), which is currently used for parking of "long life" for aircraft that require it.
The platform of Passenger Terminal 1 Building has fourteen aircraft parking positions with respective boarding bridges, which connect the aircraft directly to the waiting rooms. The platform of Passenger Terminal 2 Building has five aircraft parking positions with their respective boarding bridges. One of the positions has double boarding bridges for widebody aircraft. Three remaining positions are "remote", i.e., passengers who disembark at any of them are transferred to the terminal through aerobuses. The remote gates are used mostly by turboprop aircraft. The runway is capable of handling landings and takeoffs by Boeing 747 and Boeing 777 aircraft. Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen made an official diplomatic tour of Central America in an Eva Air B777-300ER aircraft.
The platform of the Cargo Terminal Building (ETC) has three positions for cargo aircraft parking, and also has a platform for the maintenance of five aircraft if required, just in front of hangars Aeromantenimiento (AEROMAN), a modern repairs workshop. The ETC has a total built area, comprising warehouses and offices, of 10,286 m$^2$ (110,720 sq ft).

## Facilities

The airport's modern facilities include duty-free shops, fast food and full-service restaurants, bars, air conditioned areas, tourist facilities, car rental, and spacious waiting rooms. There is space for 14 airplanes in terminal 1, 5 airplanes in terminal 2, 3 in the cargo terminal, 37 in Aeromantenimiento, S.A., and around 20 in the "Long Term Parking" which is runway 18/36. 94.5% of the airport's flights are on time (2005 data). The airport and runway have been closed at least 10 times in the almost quarter century since opening. They were closed for several hours following the devastating earthquake of 2001, followed up with minor repairs to the east end of the runway. They were closed again for several hours in 2005 due to Hurricane Stan. Although the airport is located near the Pacific Ocean, storms and hurricanes are not frequent.
There is Wi-Fi availability throughout much of the airport via Tigo El Salvador. Near Gate 3, a café called "The Coffee Cup" has free Wi-Fi for all customers.

## Security

The International Airport of El Salvador, located in the town of San Luis Talpa, La Paz, received an international certification from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), after an investment of $8 million and a process of four years and two extensions.
The document credits the Salvadoran airport terminal with compliance with all safety regulations issued under the Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), on fire control and health care, removal of rubber from the runways, lights and safety signs.
The certification enables El Salvador to keep the category 1 status from the Federal Aviation Administration of the United States. "From the start of operations of the airport in January 1980, the terminal has been characterized by its safety," said Ricardo Sauerbrey, head of the Salvadoran terminal.

## Airlines and destinations
### Passengers

| Airlines | Destinations |
| Aeroméxico Connect | Mexico City |
| Air Transat | Montréal–Trudeau |
| American Airlines | Dallas/Fort Worth, Miami |
| Arajet | Santo Domingo–Las Américas |
| Avianca | Bogotá |
| Avianca Costa Rica | San José (CR) |
| Avianca El Salvador | Bogotá, Boston, Cancún, Dallas/Fort Worth, Fort Lauderdale (begins 10 May 2025), Guatemala City, Guayaquil, Houston–Intercontinental, Lima, Los Angeles, Managua, Medellín–JMC, Mexico City, Miami, New York–JFK, Ontario (CA), Panama City–Tocumen, Quito, San Francisco, San José (CR), San Pedro Sula, Tegucigalpa/Comayagua, Toronto–Pearson, Washington–Dulles Seasonal: Chicago–O'Hare (resumes 3 June 2025), Las Vegas, Montréal–Trudeau, |
| Avianca Guatemala | Guatemala City |
| Copa Airlines | Panama City–Tocumen |
| Delta Air Lines | Atlanta, Los Angeles (ends 7 May 2025) |
| Frontier Airlines | Atlanta |
| Iberia | Madrid |
| Spirit Airlines | Houston–Intercontinental |
| TAG Airlines | Guatemala City, Roatán |
| United Airlines | Houston–Intercontinental, Los Angeles, Newark Seasonal: Washington–Dulles |
| Volaris El Salvador | Guatemala City, Houston–Intercontinental, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Miami, Newark (begins 2 July 2025), New York–JFK (ends 29 June 2025), Oakland, San José (CR), San Pedro Sula, Washington–Dulles |
* ^1 Iberia's flight from Madrid to San Salvador makes a stop in Guatemala City, but the airline does not have traffic rights to transport passengers solely between Guatemala City and San Salvador.

### Cargo

| Airlines | Destinations |
| Amerijet International | Miami |
| Avianca Cargo | Miami |
| DHL Aero Expreso | Guatemala City, Panama City–Tocumen |
| FedEx Feeder operated by IFL Group | Guatemala City, Miami |
| LATAM Cargo | Miami, Quito |

## Statistics
### Busiest routes

Busiest international routes from El Salvador International Airport (2023) :
| Rank | City | Passengers | Airlines |
| 1 | Los Angeles, California | 492,482 | Avianca Costa Rica, Avianca El Salvador, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Volaris Costa Rica, Volaris El Salvador |
| 2 | Houston–Intercontinental, Texas | 488,904 | Avianca El Salvador, Spirit Airlines, United Airlines, Volaris El Salvador |
| 3 | Washington–Dulles, D.C. | 472,011 | Avianca El Salvador, United Airlines, Volaris Costa Rica, Volaris El Salvador |
| 4 | New York–JFK, New York | 254,256 | Avianca El Salvador, Volaris El Salvador |
| 5 | Miami, Florida | 236,352 | Avianca El Salvador, American Airlines |
| 6 | San José, Costa Rica | 190,531 | Avianca El Salvador, Avianca Costa Rica, Volaris El Salvador, Volaris Costa Rica |
| 7 | Dallas, Texas | 177,141 | American Airlines, Avianca El Salvador |
| 8 | Mexico City, México | 173,582 | Aeroméxico Connect, Avianca El Salvador, Volaris El Salvador |
| 9 | Panama City–Tocumen, Panama | 170,643 | Avianca El Salvador, Copa Airlines |
| 10 | Atlanta, Georgia | 127,878 | Delta Airlines, Frontier Airlines |

### Airline market share

Top Airlines at SAL (January 2023 – December 2023) :
| Rank | Airline | Passengers | Percent of market share |
| 1 | Avianca El Salvador | 1,314,048 | 35.6% |
| 2 | Volaris El Salvador | 594,460 | 16.1% |
| 3 | United Airlines | 446,067 | 12.1% |
| 4 | American Airlines | 307,768 | 8.3% |
| 5 | Avianca Costa Rica | 194,032 | 5.3% |

## Accidents and incidents

Saint Óscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdámez International Airport has not had any fatalities or accidents, however, there have been two emergency landings from aircraft passing near the airport.
* On 29 June 1988, an El Salvador Airlines Douglas DC-6BF (registered YS-05C) crashed during its initial climb out of the airport. Both occupants survived, but the aircraft was written off.
* On 24 April 1995, a TACA Airlines Cessna Citation I (registered N120ES) undershot the runway on approach, colliding with trees 2,500 feet short of the runway. Both crew members survived.
* In 2001, El Salvador experienced an earthquake (7.6 on the Richter scale). El Salvador International Airport closed for several hours due to airport damage: all damage was successfully repaired.
* On 27 April 2002, a Centurion Air Cargo McDonnell Douglas DC-10-40F (registered N141WE) lost the No. 1 and 2 hydraulic pressure systems after two of its tires exploded upon coming into contact with a reverser cascade from a Boeing 727 which was present on the runway. The aircraft made an emergency landing at the airport.
* In November 2013, a Copa Airlines flight from Los Angeles with a destination of Panama City, Panama, had to perform an emergency landing at El Salvador International Airport due to technical problems.
* On 29 December 2013, flights to/from Honduras and Nicaragua were suspended due to the eruption of the Chaparrastique Volcano (San Miguel Volcano), which caused an ash plume that had a 10 kilometers height. Flights to and from Honduras and Nicaragua resumed when it was safe to fly by and the Yellow and Orange Alerts were gone; by 5 January 2014 all flights were resumed.
* On 7 May 2023, a Cessna A-37 Dragonfly of the Salvadoran Air Force caught on fire while attempting an emergency landing at El Salvador International Airport. The aircraft, which participated in celebrations for the country's Soldier's Day, was originally meant to land at the Ilopango International Airport but landed in Comalapa after the pilot discovered a technical problem. No one was injured during the emergency landing and flights were temporarily delayed.
* On 20 October 2023, a Honduran man died on board an Avianca flight from New York which landed at the El Salvador International Airport.