Mérida International Airport

History

The airport's history traces back to its inauguration in 1929 when Mexicana de Aviación introduced the Mérida-Campeche-Ciudad del Carmen-Minatitlán-Veracruz-Mexico City route, operated with a Ford Trimotor aircraft. In 1964, Mexicana de Aviación sold the airport to the Mexican government. A significant reconstruction of the airport was completed in 1968, replacing the previous facilities. During the 1960s, American Airlines provided service to the airport, making it one of the few airports, apart from Mexico City and Acapulco, to be served by a major airline.

During the 1990s, the airport became part of the Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, marking an important instance of a private concession within this group. This consortium encompasses various airports, including Cancún, Cozumel, Huatulco, Mérida, Minatitlán, Oaxaca, Tapachula, Villahermosa, and Veracruz. Throughout the years, it underwent several modifications and modernizations, notably in 1999, 2011, and 2021. The airport has welcomed distinguished political and religious figures, such as Pope John Paul II, as well as U.S. Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, and President of China, Xi Jinping.

Throughout its history, the airport has been serviced by a range of airlines, including Aero California, Aeromar, Aviateca, Blue Panorama Airlines, Cubana, Delta, Interjet, Mexicana, Neos, Pan Am, Lufthansa, TAR, and Tropic Air. From 1972 to 2005, it functioned as the primary hub for Aerocaribe and Aerocozumel, both subsidiaries of the former Mexicana. Between 1992 and 1995 it served as a hub for Aviacsa, and more recently, it was home to the regional airline Mayair.

Facilities

The airport is situated in the Mérida urban area, less than 5 km southwest of the city centre, at an elevation of 12 m above sea level. It features two runways: Runway 10/28, which is 3200 m long, and Runway 18/36, which spans 2300 m. Adjacent to the terminal, there is a commercial aviation apron capable of accommodating up to 11 narrow-body aircraft or a combination of three narrow-body and three wide-body aircraft. Additionally, a remote stand is available for two narrow-body aircraft. The airport has the capacity to service airplanes as large as Boeing 747s and 777s, although most daily flights involve smaller aircraft, with the most common being the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320. The airport can handle up to 30 operations per hour and operates around the clock.

Passenger terminal

The passenger terminal is a two-story structure. The ground floor comprises the main entrance, a check-in area, and the arrivals section, which includes customs and immigration facilities, along with baggage claim services. Additionally, car rental services, taxi stands, snack bars, and souvenir shops are available. The upper terminal floor hosts a security checkpoint and departure area, featuring a 260 m long departures concourse. Within this section, there are restaurants, food stands, duty-free shops, VIP lounges, and eleven gates (C1-11), with seven of them equipped with jet bridges.

In the vicinity of the terminal, various facilities are located, including civil aviation hangars, cargo and logistics companies, and cargo services. There is also a dedicated general aviation terminal that supports a range of activities, such as tourism, flight training, executive aviation, and general aviation.

Other facilities

The airport is home to the Mérida Area Control Center (ACC), one of four such centers in Mexico, alongside the Mexico City ACC, Monterrey ACC, and Mazatlán ACC. Operated by the Mexican Airspace Navigation Services (), Mérida ACC provides air traffic control services for aircraft operating within the Mérida Flight Data Region (FDRG), which encompasses the southeastern region of Mexico. This region shares its boundaries with six other Area Control Centers. To the west, it borders the Monterrey ACC and Mexico ACC, while to the north, it shares borders with the Houston ARTCC (KZHU), and to the east and south, it connects with the Havana ACC (MUFH) and the Central American ACC (MHTG), respectively.

Air Force Base No. 8 () (BAM-8) is located on the airport grounds, north of Runway 10/28. It serves as the home for Air Squadron 114, responsible for operating Cessna 182 aircraft. BAM-8 features two aprons, one spanning 11775 m2 and another covering 4000 m2. In addition to these, it includes three hangars and various other facilities for accommodating Air Force personnel.

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

| Aeroméxico | Mexico City | Aeroméxico Connect |Mexico City, Mexico City–AIFA |American Airlines|Miami Seasonal: Dallas/Fort Worth |American Eagle|Seasonal: Dallas/Fort Worth |Magnicharters|Havana, Mexico City Seasonal: Cancún, |Mexicana de Aviación |Mexico City–AIFA |TAG Airlines |Flores, Guatemala City |United Airlines|Houston–Intercontinental |Viva|Guadalajara, Havana, León/El Bajío, Mexico City, Mexico City–AIFA, Miami, Monterrey, Orlando, Puebla, Querétaro, Tijuana, Toluca/Mexico City, Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Veracruz, Villahermosa Seasonal: Los Angeles |Volaris|Guadalajara, Mexico City, Mexico City–AIFA, Monterrey, Oaxaca |WestJet|Seasonal: Toronto–Pearson}}

Destinations map

Statistics

Annual Traffic

Busiest routes

Accidents and incidents

• On 9 April 1958, a Vickers Viscount of Cubana de Aviación was hijacked en route from José Martí International Airport, Havana, to Santa Clara Airport. The aircraft landed at Mérida-Rejón Airport, Mexico, where the hijack ended.
• On 1 June 2023, an Aeromexico Boeing 737-8JP declared a Squawk 7700, a regulation for emergency on an aircraft. While en route to Mexico City, the aircraft, registered XA-PPP diverted back to Merida International Airport. The aircraft suffered an engine loss and safely landed with no deaths to the people on board.

References

References

1. "ASUR Announces Total Passenger Traffic for December 2025". ASUR.
2. "Our airports".
3. "Estadística Operacional de Aeropuertos / Statistics by Airport". Agencia Federal de Aviación Civil.
4. Romero, Manuel Ruiz. (2003). "Aeropuertos". Aeropuertos y Servicios Auxiliares.
5. [http://www.aviacsa.com/espanol/boletos/ser_aviacsa/historia.cfm Aviacsa History]
6. "MID airport information".
7. "Salones Premier".
8. "Caral lounge".
9. "Air Traffic Control Services".
10. "ATFM Regional Implementation Progress in the CAR Region".
11. "Seminario/taller CAR/SAM para la implantación de sistemas avanzados de vigilancia y automatización".
12. "Bases Aéreas. Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional.".
13. (1 February 2023). "Aeromexico announces first direct flight connecting Mexico City's newest airport to HoustonAeromexico announces first direct flight connecting Mexico City's newest airport to Houston".
14. (8 April 2024). "Americans Can Fly Nonstop To 4 Of The Most Beautiful Historical Cities In Mexico".
15. (Jul 2023). "American Airlines Boosts Dallas/Mexico Connectivity with Expanded Winter Schedule".
16. (21 February 2023). "Magnicharters anuncia nueva ruta desde Monterrey a Cayo Coco".
17. (20 December 2025). "Pilot Refuses To Fly To Cancun After Barricading Himself In Cockpit". Cancun Sun.
18. (9 November 2021). "Magnicharters starts direct Cancun, Holguin flights". Riviera Maya News.
19. (7 January 2025). "El AIFA es el problema de la aerolínea Mexicana de Aviación". México Aeroespacial.
20. (5 August 2022). "5 reasons to make Flores, Guatemala, your next holiday destination - Yucatán Magazine".
21. (23 November 2021). "Details emerge about Mérida’s upcoming direct flight to Guatemala - Yucatán Magazine".
22. (8 December 2024). "Siguen suspendidas las salidas y llegadas de vuelos en el Aeropuerto Internacional de Monterrey". ABC Noticias.
23. (20 August 2023). "The Large-Scale Flow of Cubans to Nicaragua Continues". Havana Times.
24. (2 October 2023). "Viva Aerobus announces 17 new flights from AIFA". Mexico News Daily.
25. (9 August 2024). "Viva Aerobus Chooses Merida Airport as Hub". Mexico Business.
26. (26 June 2024). "Viva Aerobus adds 2 new routes from Mérida". Mexico News Daily.
27. (30 December 2024). "Niebla causa cierre del aeropuerto de Mérida". Por Esto!.
28. (30 September 2023). "Viva Aerobus Announces Major Expansion - Dj's Aviation". djsaviation.
29. (September 2025). "Mérida-Los Angeles flight to be reactivated".
30. (29 November 2022). "Volaris adds new routes from Mérida and says there is more to come - Yucatán Magazine".
31. (6 October 2023). "Volaris sobrevende vuelo a la CDMX y deja varados a turistas en el aeropuerto de Mérida".
32. (15 December 2021). "WestJet flights between Toronto and Mérida make a comeback - Yucatán Magazine".
33. (January 2025). "Estadística operacional por origen-destino / Traffic Statistics by City Pairs". Agencia Federal de Aviación Civil.
34. "Accident description". Aviation Safety Network.