Departure
96%
vs 95% ▲ 1
MY FS FLIGHTS
MY FS FLIGHTS
General Francisco Javier Mina International Airport serves the twin cities of Tampico and Ciudad Madero on Mexico's Gulf coast in the state of Tamaulipas, and is one of the few Mexican airports with three separate runways. Operated by Grupo Aeroportuario Centro Norte, it combines scheduled airline traffic with military, cargo, flight-training and general aviation use, giving a visiting VFR pilot a genuinely mixed traffic environment to work into.
General Francisco Javier Mina International Airport, generally known simply as Tampico Airport, lies in Tamaulipas on Mexico's Gulf coast and handles the combined traffic of Tampico, Ciudad Madero and Altamira. It is operated by Grupo Aeroportuario Centro Norte and, alongside its scheduled domestic and international flights, hosts a Mexican Air Force station, cargo and courier operators, and a dedicated general aviation terminal supporting flight training and executive traffic. For a simulator pilot the field is notable for its unusual three-runway layout and its long place in Mexican aviation history.
The airport sits within the Tampico urban area, roughly 8 kilometres north of the city centre, close to Ciudad Madero and Altamira on the Gulf of Mexico coastline. It is a controlled aerodrome served by Tampico approach and tower control.
The field has three physical runways, all with hard, lit surfaces. Runway 13/31 is the longest at 8,390 feet, Runway 18/36 measures 3,964 feet, and Runway 09/27 measures approximately 3,758/3,757 feet. Field elevation is 62 feet.
Traffic is worked by Tampico APP on 120.3 MHz for approach services and Tampico TWR on 118.3 MHz for tower services.
The airport lies close to the Gulf of Mexico shoreline a few kilometres north of Tampico city centre, with the built-up areas of Ciudad Madero and Altamira providing useful orientation landmarks when approaching from the coast or the surrounding urban sprawl.
The airport was inaugurated in October 1929, originally known as Campo de Aviación George Lawrence Rihl, and it hosted the first commercial flight in Mexican aviation history, operated by Compañía Mexicana de Aviación to Mexico City. It was later renamed after General Javier Mina, a notable figure in Mexico's War of Independence. The field was also the first airport in Mexico to be equipped with an instrument landing system, an early marker of its significance in the country's aviation development.
Tampico Airport is operated by Grupo Aeroportuario Centro Norte (OMA), in which VINCI Airports holds a substantial stake following its 2022 acquisition. The airport supports scheduled services from carriers including Aeromexico, Aerus, American Eagle, United and Viva to domestic and US destinations, alongside a Mexican Air Force station (Estación Aérea Militar No. 4) that currently has no active squadrons. A dedicated general aviation terminal and apron support flight training, executive aviation and general aviation activity separate from the main commercial ramp.