Villahermosa International Airport

Villahermosa International Airport (Spanish: Aeropuerto Internacional de Villahermosa); officially known as Aeropuerto Internacional Carlos Rovirosa Pérez (Carlos Rovirosa Pérez International Airport) (IATA: VSA, ICAO: MMVA) is an international airport located in Villahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico. It serves the Metropolitan Area of Villahermosa, the entire State of Tabasco, and Northern Chiapas. The airport offers domestic flights within Mexico and supports various tourism, flight training, and general aviation activities. It is named in honor of Carlos Rovirosa Pérez, a pioneer of Mexican aviation, who was born in Villahermosa. The airport is operated by Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste (ASUR). In 2023, the airport handled 1,396,653 passengers, and in 2024, it served 1,481,067 passengers, an increase of 6.0% according to ASUR.^[1]

Villahermosa International Airport Aeropuerto Internacional de Villahermosa
IATA: VSA ICAO: MMVA
Summary
Airport type	Public
Operator	Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste
Serves	Villahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico
Opened	1979
Time zone	CST (UTC-06:00)
Elevation AMSL	14 m / 46 ft
Coordinates	17°59′42″N 92°49′02″W
Website	www.asur.com.mx/Contenido/Villahermosa/shopping
Map
VSA Location of the airport in Tabasco Show map of Tabasco VSA VSA (Mexico) Show map of Mexico
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 08/26 2,200 7,218 Asphalt
Statistics (2024)
Total passengers 1,481,067 Ranking in Mexico 21st 1
Source: Grupo Aeroporturario del Sureste[1]

History

By 1935, the city of Villahermosa had three airfields: José Suárez Airfield (located in the current España neighborhood), El Playón Airfield (located in the city center), and Roberto Fierro Airfield (located in the area now known as Tabasco 2000). The Roberto Fierro Airfield received the inaugural cargo transportation flight of Compañía Mexicana de Aviación in 1928. It also welcomed the first passenger flight, which was conducted by a Ford brand trimotor monoplane from Mexicana de Aviación in 1929.^[2]

As the city expanded in the late 1970s, a new airport was constructed in the Dos Montes community on the outskirts of the city. The current airport was inaugurated on May 2, 1979. Over the years, it has been served by various Mexican airlines, including Aeromar, Aero California, Aerocaribe, Aviacsa, Interjet, and Mexicana. It has also offered international services to Panama City through Copa Airlines and to Houston through Continental Express, Aeromexico Connect, and United Express, primarily catering to the oil industry market.

The passenger terminal underwent expansion in 2006 and was further expanded in 2013. Currently, Villahermosa Airport serves as the nearest active commercial airport to the popular tourist destination of the ancient Maya ruins in Palenque in Chiapas.

Facilities

The airport is situated at an elevation of 14 metres (46 ft) above sea level and it features a single runway, designated as 08/26, which measures 2,200 metres (7,200 ft) in length and has an asphalt surface. The commercial aviation apron has nine stands, with six being of type C and two of type D, primarily for narrow-body aircraft. The general aviation apron offers stands for fixed-wing aircraft and heliports for private aviation. The airport can handle up to 20 operations per hour.^[3]

The passenger terminal is a two-story building with a total area of 12,769 square metres (137,440 sq ft). The lower level houses the check-in area, an arrivals hall with two baggage claim carousels, immigration and customs facilities, car rental services, taxi stands, snack bars, a souvenir shop, and a restaurant. The upper floor hosts the security zone and the departure concourse with a commercial area, restaurants, bars, a VIP lounge,^[4] and five gates, four of which have jetbridges. The general airport offices are also located on this level. Adjacent to the terminal, other facilities include civil aviation hangars and designated spaces for general aviation.

Terminal diagram

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

Airlines	Destinations
Aeroméxico	Mexico City
Aeroméxico Connect	Mexico City
Aerus	Mérida, Minatitlán/Coatzacoalcos,[5] Veracruz
Mexicana de Aviación	Mexico City–AIFA
Viva	Cancún, Guadalajara, Mérida, Mexico City, Mexico City–AIFA, Monterrey
Volaris	Mexico City

Cargo

Airlines	Destinations
Aeronaves TSM	Mérida, Mexico City
Estafeta	Mérida, Mexico City, San Luis Potosí

Control tower

Departures concourse

Check-in area

Arrivals hall

Arrivals hall

Departures concourse

Departures concourse

Terminal entrance

Passenger terminal airside

Destinations map

Villahermosa Monterrey Mexico City Cancún Guadalajara Mérida Veracruz Mexico City-AIFA Minatitlán Destinations from Villahermosa International Airport Red = Year-round destination Blue = Future destination Green = Seasonal destination

Statistics

Passengers

Villahermosa Airport passengers. See Wikidata query.

Busiest routes

Busiest routes at Villahermosa International Airport (2023)^[6]

Rank	City	Passengers	Ranking	Airline
1	Mexico City, Mexico City	455,928		Aeroméxico, Aeroméxico Connect, Viva Aerobus, Volaris
2	Nuevo León, Monterrey	81,959		Viva Aerobus
3	Jalisco, Guadalajara	56,278		Viva Aerobus
4	Quintana Roo, Cancún	50,121		Viva Aerobus
5	Yucatán, Mérida	21,570		Viva Aerobus
6	Baja California, Tijuana	6,628		Volaris
7	Veracruz, Veracruz	1,207		Aerus
8	State of Mexico, Mexico City-AIFA	65	2	Mexicana de Aviación
9	United States, Houston-Intercontinental	54	1
10	Chiapas, Tuxtla Gutiérrez	34		Aerus

See also

• 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 del Sureste
• Centro Municipality, Tabasco
• Petroleum industry in Mexico
• Palenque