El Salvador International Airport

El Salvador International Airport Aeropuerto Internacional de El Salvador
File:Aeropuerto Internacional de El Salvador 2021.jpg
IATA: SAL ICAO: MSLP WMO: 78666
Summary
Airport type	Military/Public
Operator	Autonomous Port Executive Commission
Serves	San Salvador, El Salvador
Location	San Luis Talpa
Opened	31 January 1980 (1980-01-31)
Hub for	Avianca El Salvador Volaris El Salvador Volaris Costa Rica
Time zone	CST (UTC−06:00)
Elevation AMSL	31 m / 102 ft
Coordinates	13°26′27″N 89°03′20″W
Website	www.cepa.gob.sv/tag/aeropuerto-internacional-de-el-salvador/
Map
SAL Location in El Salvador
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 07/25 3,200 10,499 Asphalt 18/36 (Closed) 800 2,625 Asphalt
Statistics (2022)
Total passengers 3,400,000 Aircraft operations 34,764
Sources: AIP at COCESNA and DAFIF Passengers and aircraft from airport website

El Salvador International Airport Saint Óscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdámez (Spanish: Aeropuerto Internacional de El Salvador San Óscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdámez), (IATA: SAL, ICAO: MSLP), previously known as Comalapa International Airport (Aeropuerto Internacional de Comalapa) and also known as the Comalapa Air Base (Base Aerea de Comalapa) by the military, is a joint-use civilian and military airport that serves San Salvador, El Salvador. It is located in the south central area of the country, in the city of San Luis Talpa, Department of La Paz, and occupies a triangular plain of 2519.8 acres, which borders the Pacific Ocean to the south, is bordered to the east by the Jiboa River, and to the northwest by the coastal highway. Being close to sea level, it allows aircraft to operate efficiently at maximum capacity. It is connected to the capital of San Salvador, El Salvador, through a modern four-lane motorway, with 42 kilometers (26 miles) travel in an average time of 30 minutes.

It is the third of Central America in movement of passengers with 3,411,015 annually, counted without methodology, suggested by International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). It is classified as category 1 by the Federal Aviation Administration of the United States (FAA) and is certified by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). Being the first in the isthmus to achieve these certifications In the Skytrax World Airport Awards 2015, it was recognized as the third best airport in Central America and the Caribbean. According to the World Economic Forum, it is the second in the region with the most competitive infrastructure, achieving a score of 4.8 – 7.0 being the highest score – exceeded only by Panama (6.2). In addition, ICAO recognizes it as one of the airports with the best security standards in the continent, only exceeded by United States and Canada.

History

El Salvador International Airport exterior

Avianca El Salvador N479TA at El Salvador International Airport

El Salvador International Airport at night

The airport was built in the late 1970s to replace its predecessor, Ilopango International Airport, which is now used for regional, air taxi, military, and charter aviation. The airport was built on the initiative and request of the then President, Colonel Arturo Armando Molina. Funding for this project was provided through the Government of Japan, Engineering and building came under the direction of Hazama Ando (then Hazama Gumi). The electrical work for all lighting and communications was completed by Toshiba (then Tokyo Shibaura Electric). The Airport entered in operation on 31 January 1980 as Cuscatlán International Airport (Spanish: Aeropuerto Internacional Cuscatlán), with its first flight being a TACA airliner bound for Guatemala City.

In 1995, the Salvadoran company B&B Arquitectos Asociados designed the expansion of waiting rooms and boarding bridges, of which only the area located to the west was built. The airport is the only connection center in Central America, or hub, for the airline Avianca, and also serves other airlines that fly to almost 30 destinations between Central America, North America, South America and Europe. Since 1998 when the first expansion of the airport occurred (AIES II), the airport has been suffering from saturation in areas of check-in, screening, immigration and baggage as it continues to serve more than 2 million passengers arriving each year. In late 2012, the Autonomous Port Executive Commission (CEPA) began their rehabilitation, modernization and optimization project for the airport, which was completed in April 2015.

On 16 January 2014, El Salvador President Mauricio Funes announced in San Salvador's Presidential House the naming of El Salvador International Airport after Monsignor Óscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdámez, but it is still commonly known as El Salvador International Airport (Spanish: Aeropuerto Internacional de El Salvador). The Legislature of El Salvador approved the name change on 19 March 2014, without the vote of the Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA) or the National Coalition Party (PCN), to Monseñor Óscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdámez International Airport. On 24 March 2014, Funes unveiled a ceremonial plaque to mark the official renaming. The airport was renamed to Saint Óscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdámez International Airport on 29 October 2018 by the Commission of Culture and Education after Romero was canonized as a saint by the Catholic Church on 14 October of the same year.

Airport infrastructure

File:Aeropuerto-sv-drone.jpg

New terminal

Gate 4 at El Salvador International Airport.

File:Aeropuerto-sv-2022.jpg

New terminal at El Salvador Airport

File:Sala-espera-nueva-SAL-01.jpg

New waiting room at the El Salvador Airport terminal

Saint Óscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdámez International Airport serves as the main hub for TACA Airlines, now Avianca El Salvador, and Volaris El Salvador. The cargo terminal, located a few dozen meters west of the passenger terminal, handles millions of tons of cargo each year. The airport is located about 50 km (31 mi) from the city of San Salvador. Roads connect the airport with the city. It handles international flights to Central America, North America, South America and Europe including daily flights to Spain.

When the airport was built, it originally had only 7 gates. It was designed to handle around 400,000 passengers a year, but the high increase of passengers in the last 15 years brought the airport to its maximum capacity. The airport has had two main expansions in the last decade or so. In its first phase (named AIES I), the airport grew from 7 boarding gates to 12, and later the second phase, AIES II, added 5 more gates bringing the total to 17. Along with new gates, new expanded passenger waiting areas were built. Even though all these expansions have been made, the airport once again has reached the peak of its capacity, handling over 2 million passengers in 2006. In February 2022, a brand new terminal building was inaugurated with five gates and the first gate with double boarding jetways in the airport. The new terminal building segregates arriving passengers, connecting, and departing passengers.

The airport has a main runway (07/25) 3,200 m × 45 m (10,499 ft × 148 ft), with an effective running surface of 45 m (148 ft) and 7.5 m (25 ft) shoulders. Parallel to the main track and the same length as this, is the taxiway Alpha, which is connected to the track through six starts. For the use of small aircraft, there is also a secondary runway (18/36), 800 m × 23 m (2,625 ft × 75 ft), which is currently used for parking of "long life" for aircraft that require it.

The platform of Passenger Terminal 1 Building has fourteen aircraft parking positions with respective boarding bridges, which connect the aircraft directly to the waiting rooms. The platform of Passenger Terminal 2 Building has five aircraft parking positions with their respective boarding bridges. One of the positions has double boarding bridges for widebody aircraft. Three remaining positions are "remote", i.e., passengers who disembark at any of them are transferred to the terminal through aerobuses. The remote gates are used mostly by turboprop aircraft. The runway is capable of handling landings and takeoffs by Boeing 747 and Boeing 777 aircraft. Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen made an official diplomatic tour of Central America in an Eva Air B777-300ER aircraft.

The platform of the Cargo Terminal Building (ETC) has three positions for cargo aircraft parking, and also has a platform for the maintenance of five aircraft if required, just in front of hangars Aeromantenimiento (AEROMAN), a modern repairs workshop. The ETC has a total built area, comprising warehouses and offices, of 10,286 m² (110,720 sq ft).

Facilities

The airport's modern facilities include duty-free shops, fast food and full-service restaurants, bars, air conditioned areas, tourist facilities, car rental, and spacious waiting rooms. There is space for 14 airplanes in terminal 1, 5 airplanes in terminal 2, 3 in the cargo terminal, 37 in Aeromantenimiento, S.A., and around 20 in the "Long Term Parking" which is runway 18/36. 94.5% of the airport's flights are on time (2005 data). The airport and runway have been closed at least 10 times in the almost quarter century since opening. They were closed for several hours following the devastating earthquake of 2001, followed up with minor repairs to the east end of the runway. They were closed again for several hours in 2005 due to Hurricane Stan. Although the airport is located near the Pacific Ocean, storms and hurricanes are not frequent.

There is Wi-Fi availability throughout much of the airport via Tigo El Salvador. Near Gate 3, a café called "The Coffee Cup" has free Wi-Fi for all customers.

Shops & restaurants

Airport passengers can make purchases from a wide range of duty-free shopping, including clothing, perfume, and spirits. There are also a variety of craft shops and restaurants. Other services include twelve car rental companies. Hotel chains such as Marriott International, Radisson, InterContinental, Hilton, Terrace, and Comfort offer representative and check-in desks at the airport.

Security

The International Airport of El Salvador, located in the town of San Luis Talpa, La Paz, received an international certification from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), after an investment of $8 million and a process of four years and two extensions.

The document credits the Salvadoran airport terminal with compliance with all safety regulations issued under the Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), on fire control and health care, removal of rubber from the runways, lights and safety signs.

The certification enables El Salvador to keep the category 1 status from the Federal Aviation Administration of the United States. "From the start of operations of the airport in January 1980, the terminal has been characterized by its safety," said Ricardo Sauerbrey, head of the Salvadoran terminal.

Airlines and destinations

Airlines	Destinations
Aeroméxico Connect	Mexico City
Air Transat	Seasonal: Montréal–Trudeau
American Airlines	Dallas/Fort Worth, Miami
Arajet	Santo Domingo–Las Américas
Avianca	Bogotá
Avianca Costa Rica	San José de Costa Rica–Juan Santamaría
Avianca El Salvador	Bogotá, Boston, Cancún, Dallas/Fort Worth, Guatemala City, Guayaquil, Houston–Intercontinental, Los Angeles, Managua, Mexico City, Miami, New York–JFK, Ontario (CA), Orlando, Quito, San Francisco, San José de Costa Rica–Juan Santamaría, San Pedro Sula, Tegucigalpa/Comayagua, Toronto–Pearson, Washington–Dulles Seasonal: Las Vegas (begins July 15, 2023), Madrid
Avianca Guatemala	Guatemala City
Copa Airlines	Panama City–Tocumen
Delta Air Lines	Atlanta, Los Angeles
Frontier Airlines	Atlanta
Iberia	Madrid1
Spirit Airlines	Fort Lauderdale, Houston–Intercontinental, Orlando
Transportes Aéreos Guatemaltecos	Guatemala City, Roatán
Tropic Air	Belize City
United Airlines	Houston–Intercontinental, Los Angeles, Newark, Washington–Dulles
Volaris Costa Rica	New York–JFK, San José de Costa Rica
Volaris El Salvador	Cancún, Chicago-O'Hare (begins November 3, 2023), Guatemala City, Houston–Intercontinental, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Miami, Oakland, Ontario (CA), Roatán, San Pedro Sula, Washington–Dulles

^1 Iberia's flight from Madrid to San Salvador makes a stop in Guatemala City, but the airline does not have traffic rights to transport passengers solely between Guatemala City and San Salvador.

Cargo

Airlines	Destinations
Amerijet	Miami
DHL	Guatemala City, Panama City–Tocumen

Statistics

Boeing 737-800 of United on gate 10 at Saint Óscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdámez International Airport, in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 (In March and April 2021 it was the largest airline at the airport) it was the second largest airline in the airport, behind Avianca El Salvador

Annual passenger traffic at SAL airport. See Wikidata query.

Busiest routes

Busiest international routes from El Salvador International Airport (2021)

Rank	City	Passengers	Ranking	Airline(s)
1	Los Angeles, California	362,274		Avianca Costa Rica, Avianca El Salvador, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Volaris Costa Rica, Volaris El Salvador
2	Houston - Intercontinental, Texas	318,235		Avianca El Salvador, Spirit Airlines, United Airlines
3	Washington - Dulles, D.C.	267,816		Avianca El Salvador, United Airlines, Volaris Costa Rica, Volaris El Salvador
4	Miami, Florida	224,964		American Airlines, Avianca El Salvador, Frontier Airlines, Spirit Airlines
5	New York - JFK, New York	179,096		Avianca Costa Rica, Avianca El Salvador, Delta Air Lines, Volaris Costa Rica, Volaris El Salvador
6	Dallas - Fort Worth, Texas	130,550		American Airlines, Avianca El Salvador
7	Atlanta, Georgia	83,500		Delta Air Lines
8	Fort Lauderdale, Florida	80,944		Spirit Airlines
9	Panama City, Panamá	78,517		Avianca El Salvador, Copa Airlines
10	San Francisco, California	74,371		Avianca El Salvador
11	Mexico City, Mexico DF	68,839		Aeromexico Connect, Avianca El Salvador, Volaris El Salvador
12	Newark, New Jersey	63,154		United Airlines

Airline market share

Top Airlines at SAL
(January 2021 – December 2021)

Rank	Airline	Passengers	Percent of market share
1	Avianca El Salvador	654,927	30.9%
2	United Airlines	484,548	22.8%
3	American Airlines	305,199	14.4%
4	Delta Airlines	240,949	11.4%
5	Spirit Airlines	118,620	5.6%

Accidents and incidents

Saint Óscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdámez International Airport hasn't had any fatalities or accidents, however, there have been two emergency landings from aircraft passing near the airport.

• In 2001, El Salvador experienced an earthquake (7.6 on the Richter scale). El Salvador International Airport (SAL) closed for several hours due to airport damage: all damage was successfully repaired.
• In November 2013, a Copa Airlines flight from Los Angeles with a destination of Panama City, Panama, had to perform an emergency landing at El Salvador International Airport due to technical problems.
• On 29 December 2013, flights to/from Honduras and Nicaragua were suspended due to the eruption of the Chaparrastique Volcano (San Miguel Volcano), which caused an ash plume that had a 10 kilometers height. Flights to and from Honduras and Nicaragua resumed when it was safe to fly by and the Yellow and Orange Alerts were gone; by 5 January 2014 all flights were resumed.
• On 7 May 2023, a Cessna A-37 Dragonfly of the Salvadoran Air Force caught on fire while attempting an emergency landing at El Salvador International Airport. The aircraft, which participated in celebrations for the country's Soldier's Day, was originally meant to land at the Ilopango International Airport but landed in Comalapa after the pilot discovered a technical problem. No one was injured during the emergency landing and flights were temporarily delayed.

See also

• Transport in El Salvador
• List of airports in El Salvador

External links

Media related to Monseñor Óscar Arnulfo Romero International Airport at Wikimedia Commons

• Official website (in Spanish)