page_title: El Salvador International Airport
section_title: Airport infrastructure
hierarchical_section_title: El Salvador International Airport / Airport infrastructure
caption_attribution_description: Español: Vista del Aeropuerto Internacional de El Salvador.
context_page_description: El Salvador International Airport Saint Oscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdámez, previously known as Comalapa International Airport is an 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 triangular plain of 2519.8 acres, which borders the Pacific Ocean to the south, to the east with the Jiboa river, and to the northwest with the coastal highway. Being close to sea level, it allows aircraft to operate efficiently at maximum capacity. It is connected to the capital of San Salvador, El Salvador through a modern four-lane motorway, with 42 kilometers travel in an average time of 30 minutes.
  It is the third of Central America in movement of passengers with 3,411,015 annually, counted without methodology, suggested by ICAO. It is classified as category 1 by the Federal Aviation Administration of the United States and is certified by the Civil Aviation Authority. Being the first in 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.
context_section_description: Monseñor Óscar Arnulfo Romero International Airport (or locally known as Comalapa International Airport) serves as the main hub for TACA Airlines, now Avianca Airlines. The cargo terminal, located a few dozen meters west of the passenger terminal, handles millions of tons of cargo each year. Monseñor Óscar Arnulfo Romero International 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 daily 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.
  There are several drug enforcement agents conducting random security checks and interviews of travelers at the airport. These agents can be identified due to the items they wear such as a fanny pack, either around the waist or over the shoulder. They also carry an airport access identification card around the neck. One side of the badge carrier shows the airport identification and access card with their photo, the other side of the carrier has the Salvadorean drug enforcement agency official badge.
  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 built (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. Gates for heavy aircraft are available.
  The platform of the Passenger Terminal Building (ETP) has twenty three aircraft parking positions, fourteen of which have boarding bridges, which connect the aircraft directly to the waiting rooms. The nine remaining positions are "remote", i.e., passengers who disembark at any of them are transferred to the ETP through aerobuses. The remote gates are used mostly by turboprop aircraft. The ETP has a total constructed area of 34,380 m² (370,100 sq ft), which houses the waiting rooms and corridors, immigration and customs areas and a variety of shops. The runway is capable of handling landings and takeoffs by B747 and B777 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 m² (110,720 sq ft).
caption: View of El Salvador International Airport.
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