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Bajío International Airport

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León/Bajio International Airport (Spanish: Aeropuerto Internacional de León/Bajío); officially Aeropuerto Internacional de Guanajuato (Guanajuato International Airport) (IATA: BJX, ICAO: MMLO), is an international airport situated in Silao, Guanajuato, Mexico. It is the main international airport serving the Greater León Metropolitan Area and the State of Guanajuato, which is home to a population of 6 million residents, including the cities of Celaya, Guanajuato, Irapuato, Salamanca, and San Miguel de Allende. In addition to offering domestic flights within Mexico, it serves as a gateway for international travel, connecting Central Mexico to various destinations in the United States. It serves as a focus city for Volaris and supports flight training, cargo, logistics and general aviation activities.

León/Bajío International Airport

Aeropuerto Internacional del Bajío
Summary
Airport typePublic
Owner/OperatorGrupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico
ServesLeón, Guanajuato, Mexico
LocationSilao, Guanajuato, Mexico
Focus city forVolaris
Time zoneCST (UTC−06:00)
Elevation AMSL1,815 m / 5,955 ft
Coordinates20°59′36″N 101°28′51″W / 20.99333°N 101.48083°W / 20.99333; -101.48083
Websitewww.aeropuertosgap.com.mx/en/guanajuato-3.html
Map
BJX is located in Guanajuato
BJX
BJX
Location of the airport in Guanajuato
BJX is located in Mexico
BJX
BJX
BJX (Mexico)
Map
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
13/31 3,499 11,480 Asphalt
Statistics (2023)
Total passengers3,195,946
Ranking in Mexico9th Steady
Source: Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico[1]

Operated by Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico (GAP), Bajío Airport derives its name from the cultural region "El Bajío" (the lowland), which is situated within the central Mexican plateau. It ranks as the ninth-busiest airport in Mexico in terms of passenger numbers and the seventh-busiest for international passenger traffic. In 2022, the airport served 2,603,200 passengers, a figure that increased to 3,220,800 passengers in 2023, marking a substantial 23.7% growth compared to the previous year and becoming the ninth airport in Mexico to surpass three million passengers in a calendar year.[1]

History

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The airport was inaugurated in 1991 by President Carlos Salinas de Gortari, replacing the former San Carlos International Airport located in León.[2] 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 Mexico. 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. Throughout its history, the airport has been served by various airlines, including Aeromar, Aviacsa, Calafia Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Delta Connection, Interjet, Mexicana, TAESA, and TAR Aerolíneas.

Facilities

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Passenger terminal map
 
Passenger terminal map
 
Passenger terminal entrance

The airport is located between the cities of León and Silao in Guanajuato, at an elevation of 1,815 metres (5,955 ft) above mean sea level. It has a single runway, designated as 13/31, with a length of 3,500 metres (11,500 ft) and an asphalt surface. The commercial aviation apron provides nine stands for receiving narrow-body aircraft. The general aviation apron offers stands for fixed-wing aircraft, in addition to heliports for private aviation. The airport also includes a cargo area called "Puerto Interior," which connects the airport with a freight rail and motor transportation hub.[3][4] It is equipped to handle up to 26 flights per hour.

The passenger terminal accommodates both arrivals and departures for domestic and international flights. The ground floor houses the arrivals area with customs and immigration facilities, the baggage claim area, and the departures section that includes a check-in area, a security checkpoint, and a departures concourse with gates 4-6 that provide direct access to the apron, enabling passengers to walk to their aircraft. From this departure concourse, access to the upper floor is available, which houses snack bars, souvenir shops, and gates 1 to 3, which are equipped with jet bridges for boarding.

Bajío Airport currently lacks direct public transportation services, requiring travelers to use other transport options. The airport provides both short-term and long-term parking facilities. Car rental services are available on-site, with rental counters for Hertz, Budget, Veico, and City Car Rental located in the arrivals hall.[5]

For intercity bus travel, Primera Plus and Unebus offer services to various destinations including León, San Miguel de Allende, Silao, Guanajuato, Purísima del Rincón, and San Francisco del Rincón. From León, passengers can connect to various destinations across Mexico. Advanced bookings can be made through shuttle services listed on local tourist websites, such as Viva Aerobus, Primera Plus, and Unebus.

 
Passenger terminal entrance

Airlines and destinations

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Passenger terminal entrance
 
Airport view from Highway 45D
 
Departures concourse
 
Departures concourse
 
Duty-free shop
 
Passport control area
 
Security area
 
Aeromexico Connect Embraer E190 at BJX
 
United Airlines Boeing 737 at BJX
 
Volaris Airbus A321-271N at BJX
 
Volaris Airbus A321-271N at BJX
 
Aeronaves TSM MD-82(SF) (XA-UTX) at BJX

Passenger

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AirlinesDestinations
Aeroméxico Mexico City
Aeroméxico ConnectAtlanta, Mexico City
American AirlinesDallas/Fort Worth
American EagleDallas/Fort Worth
United Airlines Houston–Intercontinental
United ExpressHouston–Intercontinental
VivaCancún, Chicago–O'Hare, Ciudad Juárez, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston–Intercontinental, Mérida, Mexico City–AIFA,[6] Monterrey, San Antonio, Tijuana
Volaris Cancún, Chicago–Midway, Chicago–O'Hare, Fresno, Hermosillo, Los Angeles, Mazatlán, Mérida, Mexicali, Oakland, Puerto Vallarta, Sacramento, San Jose (CA), San José del Cabo, Tijuana, Tuxtla Gutiérrez

Destination maps

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class=notpageimage|
Domestic destinations from León/Bajío International Airport
Red = Year-round destination
Blue = Future destination
Green = Seasonal destination
class=notpageimage|
International destinations from Bajío International Airport
Red = Year-round destination
Blue = Future destination
Green = Seasonal/charter destination
Italic = Suspended passenger destination

Statistics

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Passengers

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Bajío airport passengers. See Wikidata query.

Top destinations

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Busiest domestic routes from Bajío International Airport (2023)[7]
Rank City Passengers Ranking Airline
1   Baja California, Tijuana 380,243   Viva Aerobus, Volaris
2   Quintana Roo, Cancún 211,718   1 Viva Aerobus, Volaris
2   Mexico City, Mexico City 176,247   1 Aeroméxico, Aeroméxico Connect
4   Nuevo León, Monterrey 146,107   Viva Aerobus
5   Jalisco, Puerto Vallarta 61,999   1 Volaris
6   Chihuahua, Ciudad Juárez 61,730   1 Viva Aerobus
7   Baja California Sur, San José del Cabo 35,949   1 Volaris
8   Baja California, Mexicali 34,989   1 Volaris
9   Yucatán, Mérida 34,118   Viva Aerobus, Volaris
10   Sonora, Hermosillo 8,288   Volaris
Busiest international routes from Bajío International Airport (2023)[7]
Rank City Passengers Ranking Airline
1   United States, Dallas/Fort Worth 105,812   American Airlines
2   United States, Houston-Intercontinental 94,071   United Airlines, Viva Aerobus
3   United States, Chicago (O'Hare and Midway)[a] 65,973   United Express, Viva Aerobus, Volaris
4   United States, Oakland 37,195   Volaris
5   United States, Los Angeles 32,030   Volaris
6   United States, Sacramento 16,023   Volaris
7   United States, Fresno 15,492   2 Volaris
8   United States, San Jose 13,308   1 Volaris
9   United States, San Antonio 12,200   1 Viva Aerobus
Notes
  1. ^ The official statistics combine both O'Hare and Midway airports.

Accidents and incidents

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  • 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

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References

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  1. ^ a b "GAP Traffic Report 2023" (PDF). Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico. January 2024. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  2. ^ "Los aeropuertos de León".
  3. ^ "SKYPLUS INDUSTRIAL AND LOGISTICS PARK".
  4. ^ "Puerto Interior".
  5. ^ Veico Car Rental
  6. ^ "Viva Aerobús announces three new routes from AIFA". EnElAire (in Spanish). June 2024. Retrieved June 13, 2024.
  7. ^ a b "Estadística operacional por origen-destino / Traffic Statistics by City Pairs" (in Spanish). Agencia Federal de Aviación Civil. January 2024. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
  8. ^ "VivaAerobus suffers engine failure shortly after take-off Mexican airport". September 19, 2021.
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