Guadalajara International Airport

Guadalajara International Airport (Spanish: Aeropuerto Internacional de Guadalajara); officially Aeropuerto Internacional Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla (Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla International Airport) (IATA: GDL, ICAO: MMGL), is the main international airport serving Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. It is Mexico’s third-busiest airport in passenger traffic, aircraft operations, and cargo volume, offering flights across Mexico, the Americas, and Europe. It ranks ninth in Latin America and 39th in North America.
The airport is the largest hub for Volaris, serving as the airline’s main gateway to the United States. It is also a hub for Viva, and a focus city for Aeroméxico. Additionally, it supports charter flights, flight training programs, and general aviation activities. Guadalajara International Airport is operated by Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico (GAP) and is named after Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, a key figure in the Mexican War of Independence. In 2024, it handled 17,848,700 passengers, marking a 0.78% increase from the previous year.
The Guadalajara Airport was inaugurated on March 1, 1951, featuring two asphalt runways, an apron, and a small passenger terminal. The opening ceremony was officiated by President Miguel Alemán Valdés.
Guadalajara Airport has undergone significant expansions since its early days. In 1966, operations were briefly suspended due to safety concerns raised by the Technical Commission of the Mexican Pilots Association (Spanish: Asociación Sindical de Pilotos Aviadores de México ASPA). Urgent repairs were carried out, with airlines temporarily redirected to the Zapopan Air Force Base. The renovation efforts included enlarging the original 2,200 metres (7,200 ft) runway 10/28. By 1968, the runway was reconstructed and extended to 4,000 metres (13,000 ft), coinciding with the reconstruction of the airport's passenger building.
The airport was reinaugurated as the new Miguel Hidalgo International Airport. This transformation allowed it to accommodate wide-body aircraft and was executed largely using existing infrastructure, with the old runway, apron, and building repurposed for general aviation. Throughout the following years, the airport underwent further transformations. In 1973, runways, taxiways, aprons, passenger buildings, parking lots, a control tower, and fuel storage areas were completely renovated or newly constructed. Technological enhancements, such as jetbridges, high-intensity lights, visual approach slope indicator (VASI) and runway end identifier lights (REIL), were implemented to ensure operational efficiency and safety.
In the 1980s, Mexicana, a key player in the country's aviation industry, began a decentralization effort to address congestion at Mexico City International Airport. Guadalajara, alongside airports like Monterrey and Mérida, played a pivotal role in accommodating additional routes and frequencies to alleviate pressure on the capital's airport. As part of this initiative, a Maintenance Base was inaugurated in 1988. This facility had the capacity to service ten Boeing 727-200 aircraft and two DC-10s, constituting a significant portion (approximately 23%) of the airline's fleet. Until Mexicana's bankruptcy, the airport served as a hub for the airline, functioning as one of its gateways to the United States.
On May 24, 1993, the airport parking lot became the site of a tragic firefight between the Logan Heights Gang, associated with the Tijuana Cartel, and the Sinaloa Cartel. This confrontation resulted in seven fatalities, including Catholic Archbishop Juan Jesús Posadas Ocampo.
In 1994, expansion and adaptation projects were funded by Aeropuertos y Servicios Auxiliares (ASA), leading to significant improvements in the passenger terminal and departures concourse. The apron was extended, and two taxiways were added. A transformative year came in 1995 with the publication of the 'Ley de Aeropuertos' (Airports Law) by the Department of Communications and Transportation (Spanish: Secretaría de Comunicaciones y Transporte), marking the inception of Mexico's airport privatization program. In 1999, Guadalajara Airport joined Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico (GAP), a consortium headquartered in Guadalajara.
The airport served as a hub for Aero California from its establishment in 1960 until its bankruptcy in 2006. In the 2000s, it also served as the primary hub and secondary hub for the now-defunct regional airlines ALMA and Aeromar. In 2010, Volaris commenced service to Guadalajara, absorbing routes from the defunct Aerocalifornia and Mexicana. This marked the establishment of what is now Volaris' largest hub.
In 2020, Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico announced an investment of 14 billion pesos in Guadalajara Airport. This funding was allocated to key developments, including the construction of a new runway on the northern side of the airport, which would convert the terminal and other buildings into midfield facilities. Other developments include improved terminal access, an expanded parking lot, a hotel, an office complex, and a solar power plant. The comprehensive expansion project is slated for completion by 2024.
Despite the promising vision, the expansion faced setbacks due to resident conflicts. Protests disrupted parking access, and residents claimed that Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico still owed for land expropriated in 1975. This dispute delayed the construction of the second runway and raised the possibility of further expropriations.
In December 2021, Guadalajara Airport achieved a significant milestone with the introduction of Aeroméxico's nonstop flights to Madrid, operated by a Boeing 787. This marked the airport's first direct connection to Europe.
In July 2023, GAP inaugurated a second parallel runway (3,538 metres (11,608 ft) long, 45 metres (148 ft) wide) 270 metres (890 ft) north of runway 11/29. While it does not allow simultaneous operations, it facilitates segregated operations, with one runway dedicated to departures and the other to arrivals, enabling up to 60 operations per hour.
Expansion plans moved forward with a $1.26 billion USD investment, part of a larger $2.52 billion USD master plan for 2025–2029. The acquisition of 285 hectares (700 acres) of surrounding land, which had previously been a point of contention, was resolved, providing space for a potential third runway. The project also includes a $1.07 billion USD investment in a new 69,000 square metres (740,000 sq ft) terminal, increasing capacity by 70%.
The airport is located in the municipality of Tlajomulco de Zúñiga, approximately 17 kilometres (11 mi) southeast of Downtown Guadalajara. Situated within built-up areas of the Metropolitan zone, the airport is situated at an elevation 1,529 metres (5,016 ft) above sea level, featuring two asphalt runways: Runway 11R/29L measuring 4,000 metres (13,000 ft), and Runway 11L/29R 3,538 metres (11,608 ft).
The airport's single terminal spans an area of 89,300 square metres (961,000 sq ft) and is currently undergoing renovations. Operating as a two-story facility, the terminal facilitates domestic and international flights. The ground floor encompasses arrival amenities, including baggage claim carousels, domestic check-in sections, and a commercial corridor housing snack kiosks, banks, souvenir shops, and car rental services. The upper floor features security checkpoints and a departures area extending 630 metres (2,070 ft), housing food courts, restaurants, and 43 gates distributed across four concourses:
Various VIP lounges, such as the Aeroméxico Salón Premier, Citibanamex Salón Beyond, VIP Lounge East, and VIP Lounge West, are available within the passenger terminal. Additionally, nearby hotel services include City Express Guadalajara Aeropuerto, Hampton Inn by Hilton Guadalajara-Aeropuerto, and Hangar Inn.
Air Force Station No. 1 (Spanish: Estación Aérea Militar N.º 1 Aeropuerto Internacional de Guadalajara) (E.A.M. 1) is situated on the airport grounds. Adjacent facilities encompass a maintenance base for Volaris, Aeromexico, an FBO terminal, a general aviation apron with several hangars, and a cargo terminal, recently expanded to store approximately 350,000 tons of goods annually within its 27,000 square metres (290,000 sq ft). The cargo terminal features six positions capable of handling various wide-body aircraft.
^1 TAR flight to Ciudad Juárez makes a stopover in Durango. ^2 Viva flight to Nuevo Laredo makes a stopover in Mexico City–AIFA.