Trip Report: Acapulco, Mexico

The following is a summary of a trip report covering Acapulco Airport, following a visit from our Global Vendor Team.
 
Report Details

• Visit Date: 1/17/2018
• Country: Mexico
• Airport Name: Acapulco International Airport, officially General Juan N. Álvarez International Airport
• ICAO Code: MMAA
• IATA Code: ACA

Airport General Information

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Acapulco Airport is managed by a private company called OMA. This company controls many other airports in Mexico, including those in major Mexican cities like Ciudad Juarez, Cuernavaca, Monterrey, and Chihuahua. The concession is for more than 40 years. A new, modern commercial terminal is under construction and is expected to be finished before the end of 2018.

The number of commercial flights drops significantly during the slow season. During the busy season, the traffic is somehow stepped, so there are no major issues. The airport has only one runway and it operates 24 hours a day. There is plenty of parking space on the commercial apron.

Airport Location

Distance to Downtown & Estimated Travel Time: 10 miles or 16 kms. Travel time is estimated to be around 30 minutes.

Traffic During Rush-hour: There is heavy traffic during rush hour because there is only one Highway with access to the airport.
 
Acapulco International Airport is a seasonal airport. During Christmas, Easter and on other special dates, it can get extremely busy. There is also heavy ground traffic during holidays. The sole highway to the airport stays fairly busy during peak hours and even a minor accident can cause huge delays. 

General Aviation Area Description

Operators have two choices: either to use the General Aviation Terminal (GAT) or to use ICCS’ FBO.

In both cases, passengers are invited to walk to the aircraft from their respective buildings. ICCS has its own private entry for arrivals and departures with several golf carts to transport passengers, if necessary.

Technical Stop Location

Good for Tech Stops, but only when traveling in Northbound or Southbound direction.

MMAA has its own GA ramp. Customs and Immigration is located at the FBO. There is easy access to facilities and restrooms. Catering is also easily accessible. 

Fuel availability is not a problem, as the airport is not busy.

Ground Transportation

• ICCS has its own ground transportation vehicles, especially for crews. Passengers normally have their own vehicles. In case they need extra vehicles, they use the ground transportation companies available at the airport. We recommend using ICCS’s transport since it is a lot more secure.
• Aviacion Ejecutiva y Manuel Garay employs the same drivers from the companies that work at the airport.

Commercial Area Description

The old terminal has been recently renewed. It has two separate areas: “Arrivals" and "Departures."

The Arrivals area is divided into National and International areas. the International area has Customs & Immigration.

On a regular basis, passengers do not wait too long in the immigration queue, as there are not many commercial flights. The check-in area is small and crowded. Passengers must go up to the second floor for Security and Customs. The departure waiting area is on the second floor, but the departure gates are on the first floor. It has a few restaurants, shops, and a coffee shop. There are two main aircraft parking positions.

Catering

• ICCS uses its own catering based at the FBO. They provide catering to several other companies apart from the ones they attend. They are specialized in VIP catering.
• Aviacion Ejecutiva y Manuel Garay makes use of the Holiday Inn Hotel and they recommend the hotel's catering as top quality.