Departure
97%
vs 95% ▲ 2
MY FS FLIGHTS
MY FS FLIGHTS
Guadalajara International Airport, officially Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla International Airport, is the principal gateway to western Mexico, lying south of Guadalajara in the state of Jalisco. It is a major civil hub handling international and domestic airline traffic alongside general aviation and flight training, and offers a full instrument approach and radar-controlled environment of interest to any visiting simulator pilot.
Guadalajara International Airport (ICAO: MMGL, IATA: GDL), officially named Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla International Airport after the leader of the Mexican War of Independence, serves Guadalajara, the second-largest city in Mexico. It is operated by Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico (GAP) and ranks as one of the busiest airports in the country. The field is a major hub for Volaris, a hub for Viva, and a focus city for Aeromexico, while also supporting charter operations, flight training and general aviation, making it a substantial and busy destination for a VFR or IFR arrival in the simulator.
The airport sits in Tlajomulco de Zuniga, Jalisco, roughly 16 to 17 kilometres south of downtown Guadalajara. It is served by its own approach control, Guadalajara APP, indicating that arriving and departing traffic operates within controlled airspace with radar service, and a control tower provides aerodrome control. An Air Force Station, Estacion Aerea Militar No. 1 (E.A.M. 1), is situated on the airport grounds alongside the civil operation.
The airport has two physical runways. The main runway, 11/29, is a hard-surfaced, lit runway of 13,135 feet with an ILS available, and is the primary runway for airline and larger traffic. The secondary runway, 02/20, is also hard-surfaced and lit, with a declared length of 5,917 feet from runway 02 and 5,037 feet from runway 20. Field elevation is 5,003 feet.
Guadalajara APP provides approach control on 119.3 MHz. ATIS broadcasts on 127.9 MHz. Ground movements are handled on 121.9 MHz, and Guadalajara TWR operates the aerodrome on 118.1 MHz. The main runway, 11/29, is equipped with an ILS for instrument approaches.
The airport was built in 1966 and has grown into the third busiest airport in Mexico by passenger numbers. During the 1980s it played a role in Mexicana's decentralisation effort, which aimed to relieve congestion at Mexico City International Airport by shifting routes and frequencies to airports such as Guadalajara, Monterrey and Merida. On 31 August 1986, an Aeromexico DC-9 operating as Flight 498 made a stopover at Guadalajara during a journey that ended in a fatal mid-air collision over Los Angeles. The airport grounds also host Air Force Station No. 1 (E.A.M. 1), reflecting a continuing military presence alongside civil operations.
Guadalajara International Airport today functions as a major civil hub, serving as the main base for Volaris, a hub for Viva, and a focus city for Aeromexico, with extensive domestic and international connections. Beyond scheduled airline traffic, the airport supports charter flights, flight training programmes and general aviation activity, giving it relevance for smaller aircraft operations as well as airline traffic.
