The second runway under construction at the Guadalajara International Airport will be ready for operation by mid-2024 at the latest, the director general of Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico (GAP), the airport’s operators, said this week.
Although the runway itself could be completed by December of this year, the certification process will take several more months, said Martín Pablo Zazueta.
Once operational, the airport’s maximum capacity for landings and take-offs will increase to between 55 and 60 per hour, Zazueta said.
Zazueta anticipates that airlines will start to add more international flights in the coming months, after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reinstated Mexico’s category 1 aviation safety rating. This means Mexico can add new services and routes to the United States, and U.S. airlines can resume marketing and selling tickets with their names and designator codes on Mexican-operated flights.
The first stage of the 2020-2026 renovation project at the Guadalajara airport should be finished by the end of 2024, GAP has said. The works include major changes to both the domestic and international departure and arrivals areas, baggage handling, immigration, car parks and the drop-off and pick-up zones. A Hilton Garden Inn hotel and hangars for federal authorities are also under construction. The second stage of the airport renovation plan will see the construction of a second terminal. The total investment in the project is estimated just over $US900 million.