Bajío International Airport

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.

Guanajuato International Airport

Aeropuerto Internacional del Bajío
Summary
Airport typePublic
OperatorGrupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico
ServesLeón, Guanajuato
LocationSilao, Guanajuato
Hub forVolaris
Elevation AMSL5,956 ft / 1,815 m
Coordinates20°59′36″N 101°28′51″W
Websitehttps://www.aeropuertosgap.com.mx/en/guanajuato-3.html
Map
BJX is located in Guanajuato
BJX
BJX
Location of airport in Guanajuato
BJX is located in Mexico
BJX
BJX
BJX (Mexico)
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
13/31 11,480 3,499 Asphalt
Statistics (2022)
Total passengers2,603,200
Ranking in Mexico9th Decrease 1
Source: Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico
Airport terminal

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
AirlinesDestinations
Aeroméxico Mexico City
Aeroméxico ConnectAtlanta (begins March 14, 2024),[5] Mexico City, Mexico City–AIFA, Monterrey
American AirlinesDallas/Fort Worth
Mexicana de Aviación Mexico City–AIFA (begins December 2, 2023)[6]
United Airlines Houston–Intercontinental
United ExpressHouston–Intercontinental
Viva AerobusCancún, Chicago–O'Hare, Ciudad Juárez, Dallas/Fort Worth (begins December 8, 2023),[7] Houston–Intercontinental, Mérida, Monterrey, San Antonio, Tijuana
VolarisAcapulco, Cancún, Chicago–Midway, Chicago–O'Hare, Ciudad Obregón, Culiacán, Fresno, Hermosillo, Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo, La Paz, Los Angeles, Los Mochis, Mazatlán, Mérida, Mexicali, Oakland, Oaxaca, Puerto Vallarta, Sacramento, San Jose (CA), San José del Cabo, Tijuana, Torreón/Gómez Palacio, Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Veracruz

Destinations map
Destinations map
Domestic destinations from Bajío International Airport
Red = Year-round destination
Blue = Future destination
Green = Seasonal destination
Italic = Suspended destination
International destinations from Bajío International Airport
Red = Year-round destination
Blue = Future destination
Green = Seasonal/charter destination
Italic = Suspended passenger destination

Statistics
Airport's landside.
Volaris Airbus A319 at the airport
Departures area.
Waiting room.
Airport's gate

Passengers
Bajío airport passengers. See Wikidata query.

Top destinations
Busiest domestic routes at Bajío International Airport (2022)[8]
Rank City Passengers Ranking Airline
1  Baja California, Tijuana 370,725 Steady VivaAerobús, Volaris
2  Mexico City, Mexico City 158,731 Increase 1 Aeroméxico, Aeroméxico Connect
3  Quintana Roo, Cancún 158,421 Decrease 1 VivaAerobús, Volaris
4  Nuevo León, Monterrey 105,698 Steady VivaAerobús
5  Chihuahua, Ciudad Juárez 63,581 Steady VivaAerobús
6  Jalisco, Puerto Vallarta 31,037 Steady Volaris
7  Baja California, Mexicali 17,653 Increase 1 Volaris
8  Baja California Sur, San José del Cabo 16,868 Decrease 1 Volaris
9  Yucatán, Mérida 3,245 New entry Volaris
10  Querétaro, Querétaro 66 New entry
Busiest international routes at Bajío International Airport (2022)[8]
Rank City Passengers Ranking Airline
1  United States, Dallas 91,902 Increase 2 American Airlines
2  United States, Houston 91,331 Increase 1 United Airlines, VivaAerobús
3  United States, Chicago (Midway and O'Hare)[Note 1] 65,973 Decrease 2 United Express, VivaAerobús, Volaris
4  United States, Oakland 28,244 Increase 1 Volaris
5  United States, Los Angeles 27,683 Decrease 1 Volaris
6  United States, Sacramento 14,981 Steady Volaris
7  United States, San Jose 13,816 Increase 1 Volaris
8  United States, San Antonio 10,612 Increase 1 Viva Aerobus
9  United States, Fresno 9,315 Decrease 2 Volaris
10  United States, Harlingen 59 New entry
Notes
  1. The official statistics include both Midway and O'Hare airports.

Services

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.[10]

See also

References
  1. "GAP Traffic Report 2022" (PDF). Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico. January 2023. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
  2. "SKYPLUS INDUSTRIAL AND LOGISTICS PARK".
  3. "Puerto Interior".
  4. "Los aeropuertos de León".
  5. "Aeromexico began selling flights on a dozen new routes in the United States". World Nation News Desk. October 2023. Retrieved October 11, 2023.
  6. "These Are Our Destinations". Mexicana (in Spanish). October 2022. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  7. "New Destinations from León". Viva Aerobus (in Spanish). Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  8. "Estadística operacional por origen-destino / Traffic Statistics by City Pairs" (in Spanish). Agencia Federal de Aviación Civil. January 2023. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
  9. Veico Car Rental
  10. "VivaAerobus suffers engine failure shortly after take-off Mexican airport". 19 September 2021.
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