Bajío International Airport
Guanajuato International Airport Aeropuerto Internacional del Bajío | |||||||||||
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Summary | |||||||||||
Airport type | Public | ||||||||||
Operator | Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico | ||||||||||
Serves | León, Guanajuato | ||||||||||
Location | Silao, Guanajuato | ||||||||||
Hub for | Volaris | ||||||||||
Elevation AMSL | 5,956 ft / 1,815 m | ||||||||||
Coordinates | 20°59′36″N 101°28′51″W / 20.99333°N 101.48083°W | ||||||||||
Website | https://www.aeropuertosgap.com.mx/en/guanajuato-3.html | ||||||||||
Map | |||||||||||
Runways | |||||||||||
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Statistics (2022) | |||||||||||
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Source: Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico |
Bajio International Airport, officially known as Aeropuerto Internacional de Guanajuato (Guanajuato International Airport) (IATA: BJX, ICAO: MMLO), is an international airport located in Silao, Guanajuato, Mexico. It is the main international airport serving the Greater León Metropolitan Area and the State of Guanajuato with a population of 6 million inhabitants including Celaya, Guanajuato, Irapuato, Salamanca, and San Miguel de Allende. It is the ninth-busiest airport in Mexico; it handled 2,119,000 passengers in 2021 and 2,603,200 passengers in 2022, an increase of 22.9% from the previous year.[1] Bajio International Airport serves as a focus city for Volaris.
The airport features a terminal with 11 gates, 3 of which are equipped with jet bridges. The runway 13/31 is 11,480ft (3,499m) long. It has the capacity to handle 26 flights per hour. It also features a new cargo area called "Puerto Interior," which connects the airport with a freight rail- and motor transportation hub.[2][3]
History
The airport was inaugurated in 1991 by President Carlos Salinas de Gortari, replacing the former San Carlos International Airport located in Leon.[4] The growing industrial activity in the Bajío region and the massive migration of Mexicans to the United States in recent decades has been reflected in a substantial increase in international air transport demand. In 1999 the terminal went through an expansion project, improving equipment, and enhancing services for passengers.
In February 2001, this airport received Air Force One during President George W. Bush's visit to then-President Vicente Fox. On March 23, 2012, the airport welcomed Pope Benedict XVI, who arrived on a direct flight from Rome, Italy, during his first and only visit to Mexico.
At the end of 2015, work began on the construction of a parallel taxiway along the entire length of the runway. In August 2016, the airport opened its first and only VIP lounge, while modernization and expansion work in the departure area and the entire terminal began, including the relocation of the customs and immigration checkpoint. Work was completed in mid-2018.
Airlines and destinations
Destinations map
Destinations map |
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Statistics
Passengers
Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org. |
Top destinations
Rank | City | Passengers | Ranking | Airline |
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1 | Baja California, Tijuana | 370,725 | VivaAerobús, Volaris | |
2 | Mexico City, Mexico City | 158,731 | 1 | Aeroméxico, Aeroméxico Connect |
3 | Quintana Roo, Cancún | 158,421 | 1 | VivaAerobús, Volaris |
4 | Nuevo León, Monterrey | 105,698 | VivaAerobús | |
5 | Chihuahua, Ciudad Juárez | 63,581 | VivaAerobús | |
6 | Jalisco, Puerto Vallarta | 31,037 | Volaris | |
7 | Baja California, Mexicali | 17,653 | 1 | Volaris |
8 | Baja California Sur, San José del Cabo | 16,868 | 1 | Volaris |
9 | Yucatán, Mérida | 3,245 | Volaris | |
10 | Querétaro, Querétaro | 66 |
Rank | City | Passengers | Ranking | Airline |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | United States, Dallas | 91,902 | 2 | American Airlines |
2 | United States, Houston | 91,331 | 1 | United Airlines, VivaAerobús |
3 | United States, Chicago (Midway and O'Hare)[Note 1] | 65,973 | 2 | United Express, VivaAerobús, Volaris |
4 | United States, Oakland | 28,244 | 1 | Volaris |
5 | United States, Los Angeles | 27,683 | 1 | Volaris |
6 | United States, Sacramento | 14,981 | Volaris | |
7 | United States, San Jose | 13,816 | 1 | Volaris |
8 | United States, San Antonio | 10,612 | 1 | Viva Aerobus |
9 | United States, Fresno | 9,315 | 2 | Volaris |
10 | United States, Harlingen | 59 |
- Notes
- ^ The official statistics include both Midway and O'Hare airports.
Services
Car rental
- Veico Car Rental[7]
- City Car Rental
Accidents and incidents
- On 17 September 2021, a VivaAerobús Airbus A320-200, registered XA-VAP, experienced an engine failure shortly after takeoff from El Bajío. The aircraft landed safely after circling the airport and burning fuel for 25 minutes.[8]
See also
References
- ^ "GAP Traffic Report 2022" (PDF). Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico. January 2023. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
- ^ "SKYPLUS INDUSTRIAL AND LOGISTICS PARK".
- ^ "Puerto Interior".
- ^ "Los aeropuertos de León".
- ^ "These Are Our Destinations". Mexicana (in Spanish). October 2022. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
- ^ a b "Estadística operacional por origen-destino / Traffic Statistics by City Pairs" (in Spanish). Agencia Federal de Aviación Civil. January 2023. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
- ^ Veico Car Rental
- ^ "VivaAerobus suffers engine failure shortly after take-off Mexican airport". 19 September 2021.
External links