Mérida International Airport
Mérida International Airport Aeropuerto Internacional de Mérida | |||||||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Military/Public | ||||||||||||||
| Owner/Operator | Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste | ||||||||||||||
| Serves | Mérida,Yucatán,Mexico | ||||||||||||||
| Built | 1929 | ||||||||||||||
| Time zone | CST (UTC-06:00) | ||||||||||||||
| ElevationAMSL | 12 m / 39 ft | ||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 20°56′13″N089°39′28″W/ 20.93694°N 89.65778°W | ||||||||||||||
| Website | www | ||||||||||||||
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  MID Location of the airport in Yucatán  MID MID (Mexico) | |||||||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||||||
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| Statistics (2023) | |||||||||||||||
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Source: Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste[1] | |||||||||||||||
Mérida International Airport(Spanish:Aeropuerto Internacional de Mérida); officiallyAeropuerto Internacional Manuel Crescencio Rejón(Manuel Crescencio Rejón International Airport)(IATA:MID,ICAO:MMMD) is an international airport located in the Mexican city ofMérida.It serves as the primary international gateway to Mérida and theState of Yucatán,a popular tourist destination, offering flights to and fromMexico,theUnited States,Canada,Central America,and theCaribbean.The airport also accommodates facilities for the Mexican Airspace Navigation Services, and theMexican Army,and supports various tourism, flight training, and general aviation activities. Additionally, it serves as a focus city forViva Aerobus.
The airport is named in honor of the jurist and politician Manuel Crescencio García Rejón, who was originally from Yucatán. It is operated by theGrupo Aeroportuario del Sureste(ASUR).[2]The airport has become one of thefastest-growingairports in the country. In 2022, it handled 3,079,618 passengers, surpassing three million passengers in a calendar year for the first time; and in 2023, the number increased to 3,674,103 passengers.[1]It also ranked as theeighth-busiestairport in terms of passengers and aircraft movements, and tenth forcargo.[3]
History[edit]
The airport's history traces back to its inauguration in 1929 whenMexicana de Aviaciónintroduced the Mérida-Campeche-Ciudad del Carmen-Minatitlán-Veracruz-Mexico Cityroute, operated with aFord Trimotoraircraft. 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 Airlinesprovided service to the airport, making it one of the few airports, apart from Mexico City andAcapulco,to be served by a major airline.
During the 1990s, the airport became part of theGrupo Aeroportuario del Sureste,marking an important instance of a private concession within this group. This consortium encompasses various airports, includingCancún,Cozumel,Huatulco,Mérida,Minatitlán,Oaxaca,Tapachula,Villahermosa,andVeracruz.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 asPope John Paul II,as well as U.S. PresidentsBill ClintonandGeorge W. Bush,and President of China,Xi Jinping.
Throughout its history, the airport has been serviced by a range of airlines, includingAero California,Aeromar,Aviateca,Blue Panorama Airlines,Cubana,Delta,Interjet,Mexicana,Neos,Pan Am,Lufthansa,TAR,andTropic Air.From 1972 to 2005, it functioned as the primary hub forAerocaribeandAerocozumel,both subsidiaries of the formerMexicana.Between 1992 and 1995 it served as a hub forAviacsa,and more recently, it was home to the regional airlineMayair.[4]
Facilities[edit]
The airport is situated in the Mérida urban area, less than 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) southwest of the city center, at an elevation of 12 metres (39 ft) abovesea level.It features tworunways:Runway 10/28, which is 3,200 metres (10,500 ft) long, and Runway 18/36, which spans 2,300 metres (7,500 ft). Adjacent to the terminal, there is a commercial aviationaproncapable of accommodating up to 11narrow-bodyaircraft or a combination of 3 narrow-body and 3wide-bodyaircraft. Additionally, a remote stand is available for 2 narrow-body aircraft. The airport has the capacity to service airplanes as large asBoeing 747sand777s,although most daily flights involve smaller aircraft, with the most common being theBoeing 737andAirbus A320.The airport can handle up to 30 operations per hour and operates around the clock.[5]
Passenger terminal[edit]
The passenger terminal is a two-story structure. The ground floor comprises the main entrance, acheck-inarea, 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 metres (850 ft) 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 withjet bridges.[6][7]
In the vicinity of the terminal, various facilities are located, including civil aviationhangars,cargo and logistics companies, and cargo services. There is also a dedicatedgeneral aviationterminal that supports a range of activities, such as tourism, flight training, executive aviation, and general aviation.
Other facilities[edit]
The airport is home to theMérida Area Control Center(ACC), one of four such centers in Mexico, alongside theMexico City ACC,Monterrey ACC,and Mazatlán ACC.[8]Operated by the Mexican Airspace Navigation Services (Spanish:Servicios a la Navegación en el Espacio Aéreo Mexicano), Mérida ACC providesair traffic controlservices foraircraftoperating within the Mérida Flight Data Region (FDRG), which encompasses the southeastern region of Mexico. This region shares its boundaries with six otherArea Control Centers.To the west, it borders the Monterrey ACC and Mexico ACC, while to the north, it shares borders with theHouston ARTCC(KZHU), and to the east and south, it connects with the Havana ACC (MUFH) and the Central American ACC (MHTG), respectively.[9][10]
Air Force BaseNo. 8(Spanish:Base Aérea Militar No. 8 Mérida, Yucatán)(BAM-8)is located on the airport grounds, north of Runway 10/28. It serves as the home for Air Squadron 114, responsible for operatingCessna 182aircraft. BAM-8 features two aprons, one spanning 11,775 square metres (126,750 sq ft) and another covering 4,000 square metres (43,000 sq ft). In addition to these, it includes three hangars and various other facilities for accommodating Air Force personnel.[11]
Airlines and destinations[edit]
Passenger[edit]
Cargo[edit]
Destinations map[edit]
 Mérida Domestic destinations from Mérida International Airport Red= Year-round destination Blue= Future destination Green= Seasonal destination |
 Mérida International destinations from Mérida International Airport Red= Year-round destination Blue= Future destination Green= Seasonal destination |
Statistics[edit]
 | Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info onPhabricatorand onMediaWiki.org. |
Busiest routes[edit]
| Rank | City | Passengers | Ranking | Airline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Mexico City,Mexico City
|
944,674 | 
|
Aeroméxico,Aeroméxico Connect,Magni,Viva Aerobus,Volaris |
| 2 |  Jalisco,Guadalajara
|
188,600 |  1
|
Viva Aerobus, Volaris |
| 3 |  Nuevo León,Monterrey
|
175,928 |  1
|
Viva Aerobus, Volaris |
| 4 |  State of Mexico,Mexico City-AIFA
|
90,226 |
|
Aeroméxico Connect, Volaris |
| 5 | State of Mexico,Toluca
|
60,035 | 4
|
Viva Aerobus |
| 6 |  Veracruz,Veracruz
|
53,444 | 1
|
Viva Aerobus |
| 7 |  Chiapas,Tuxtla Gutiérrez
|
35,061 | 1
|
Viva Aerobus |
| 8 |  Guanajuato,León/El Bajío
|
13,207 | 
|
Viva Aerobus, Volaris |
| 9 |  Querétaro,Querétaro
|
32,446 |
|
Volaris |
| 10 |  Tabasco,Villahermosa
|
21,057 | 2
|
Viva Aerobus |
| Rank | City | Passengers | Ranking | Airline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  United States,Houston
|
47,533 |
|
United Airlines |
| 2 | United States,Miami
|
37,896 |
|
American Eagle |
| 3 | United States,Dallas
|
22,614 | 3
|
American Eagle |
| 4 |  Cuba,Havana
|
6,985 | 1
|
Viva Aerobus |
| 5 |  Canada,Toronto
|
3,455 | 1
|
WestJet |
| 6 |  Guatemala,Guatemala City
|
3,449 | 1
|
TAG Airlines |
| 7 | Cuba,Camagüey
|
1,656 |
|
Viva Aerobus |
| 8 | Cuba,Santa Clara
|
1,656 |
|
Viva Aerobus |
| 9 | Guatemala,Flores
|
137 | 1
|
TAG Airlines |
Accidents and incidents[edit]
- On 9 April 1958, aVickers ViscountofCubana de Aviaciónwas hijacked en route fromJosé Martí International Airport,Havana,toSanta Clara Airport.The aircraft landed at Mérida-Rejón Airport,Mexico,where the hijack ended.[15]
- On 1 June 2023, anAeromexicoBoeing737-8JP declared aSquawk 7700,a regulation for emergency on an aircraft. While en route toMexico City,the aircraft, registered XA-PPP diverted back toMerida International Airport.The aircraft suffered an engine loss and safely landed with no deaths to the people on board.
See also[edit]
- List of the busiest airports in Mexico
- List of airports in Mexico
- List of airports by ICAO code: M
- List of busiest airports in North America
- List of the busiest airports in Latin America
- Transportation in Mexico
- Tourism in Mexico
- Grupo Aeroportuario Centro Norte
- Area control center
- List of area control centers
- Flight information region
- List of Mexican military installations
- Mexican Air Force
References[edit]
- ^ab"Passenger's Traffic"(in Spanish). ASUR.Retrieved26 January2024.
- ^"Our airports".
- ^"Estadística Operacional de Aeropuertos / Statistics by Airport".Agencia Federal de Aviación Civil.Retrieved26 January2024.
- ^Aviacsa History
- ^"MID airport information".
- ^"Salones Premier".
- ^"Caral lounge".
- ^"Air Traffic Control Services".
- ^"ATFM Regional Implementation Progress in the CAR Region"(PDF).
- ^"Seminario/taller CAR/SAM para la implantación de sistemas avanzados de vigilancia y automatización"(PDF).
- ^"Bases Aéreas. Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional".
- ^ab"New Destinations from Mérida".Viva Aerobus(in Spanish). October 2023.Retrieved2 October2023.
- ^ab"Viva Aerobus adds 2 new routes from Mérida".Mexico News Daily. 26 June 2024.Retrieved6 July2024.
- ^ab"Estadística operacional por origen-destino / Traffic Statistics by City Pairs"(in Spanish). Agencia Federal de Aviación Civil. January 2024.Retrieved30 January2024.
- ^"Accident description".Aviation Safety Network.Retrieved8 September2009.
External links[edit]
Media related toManuel Crescencio Rejón International Airportat Wikimedia Commons- Official Website
- Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste
- Aeronautical chartandairport information for MMMDat SkyVector
- Current weather for MMMDatNOAA/NWS
- Mérida Airport informationat Great Circle Mapper
- Accident history for MIDatAviation Safety Network
- Mexican Air Traffic Control Services
- Servicios a la Navegación en el Espacio Aéreo Mexicano
- Airports in Mexico
- Airports in Yucatán
- Tourist attractions in Yucatán
- Transportation in Yucatán
- Mérida, Yucatán
- Mexican Air Force bases
- Mexican Air Force
- Military installations of Mexico
- Air traffic control centers
- WAAS reference stations
- Buildings and structures completed in 1929
- 1929 establishments in Mexico