Culiacán International Airport

Culiacán International Airport, (Spanish: Aeropuerto Internacional de Culiacán); officially Aeropuerto Internacional Federal de Bachigualato (Bachigualato Federal International Airport) (IATA: CUL, ICAO: MMCL), is an international airport located in Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico. It serves as the primary air traffic gateway to the Culiacán metropolitan area, offering nonstop flights to many cities in Mexico and serving as a gateway in a heavily traveled air corridor connecting mainland Mexico to the Baja California peninsula. It is also a focus city for Volaris.

Culiacán International Airport Aeropuerto Internacional de Culiacán
IATA: CUL ICAO: MMCL
Summary
Airport type	Public
Operator	Grupo Aeroportuario Centro Norte
Serves	Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico
Focus city for	Volaris
Time zone	MST (UTC-07:00)
Elevation AMSL	33 m / 108 ft
Coordinates	24°45′52″N 107°28′28″W
Website	www.oma.aero/en/passengers/culiacan/
Map
CUL Location of the airport in Sinaloa Show map of Sinaloa CUL CUL (Mexico) Show map of Mexico
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 02/20 2,300 7,546 Asphalt
Statistics (2024)
Total passengers 2,240,034 Ranking in Mexico 11th
Source: Grupo Aeroportuario Centro Norte[1]

The airport accommodates military facilities for the Mexican Army and supports various tourism, flight training, and general aviation activities. It is operated by Grupo Aeroportuario Centro Norte and takes its name from the neighborhood of Bachigualato, where it is situated. Culiacán Airport ranks as the eleventh-busiest in Mexico and is the third-largest in northwestern Mexico. It is also the busiest for domestic traffic and the second-busiest for international operations in the state of Sinaloa. In 2024, Culiacán Airport served 2,240,034 passengers, a 14.25% decrease from the previous year.^[1]

Facilities

Culiacán Airport map

Culiacán Airport is situated in the Bachigualato neighborhood, located 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) southwest of the city center of Culiacán. It is situated at an elevation of 33 metres (108 ft) above mean sea level and features a 2,300 metres (7,500 ft) long runway. The airport features two aprons with parking positions for up to 10 narrow-body commercial aircraft, as well as a separate apron dedicated to general aviation. It has a capacity for 22 operations per hour. Under favorable weather conditions, flights arriving from the Baja California Peninsula and northern regions use Runway 02, while those arriving from other parts of the country use Runway 20.

The main terminal serves essential functions, with check-in and baggage handling facilities on the eastern side, and the arrivals section on the west side, which includes customs and immigration facilities. The arrivals section also provides services such as car rental, taxi stands, snack bars, and souvenir shops. The upper floor of the terminal houses the security checkpoint and a departure section that hosts a food court, duty-free shops, a VIP lounge, and a concourse featuring five gates, three of which are equipped with jet bridges.^[2]

Adjacent to the terminal, there are other facilities, including civil aviation hangars, cargo and logistics companies, and courier services. Additionally, there is a dedicated general aviation terminal that supports a variety of activities, including tourism, flight training, executive aviation, and general aviation.

Passenger terminal airside

In 2023, Grupo Aeroportuario Centro Norte announced a major renovation project for Culiacán International Airport. This project is expected to be completed within 5 years and aims to accommodate an estimated 5 million passengers. The renovation plan includes expanding waiting areas, adding additional gates, and completely revamping the terminal area. The total investment for this project is set at a minimum of 636 million Mexican pesos.^[3][4]

Air Force Base No. 10 (Spanish: Base Aérea Militar No. 10 Culiacán, Sinaloa) (B.A.M 10) is situated at the southern end of the airport grounds. This base houses Air Squadron 109, which operates Cessna 182 aircraft, and it features two aviation aprons. One of these aprons covers an area of 13,800 square metres (149,000 sq ft), while the other spans 21,000 square metres (230,000 sq ft), offering 30 parking positions for helicopters and small airplanes. The larger apron is primarily utilized as a maintenance center for single-engine Cessna aircraft and Bell helicopters. Additionally, the Air Base includes five hangars and other facilities to accommodate Air Force personnel.^[5]

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

Airlines	Destinations
Aeroméxico	Mexico City
Aeroméxico Connect	Mexico City
Aero Pacífico	San José del Cabo
TAR	Chihuahua, Hermosillo
Viva	La Paz, Mexico City, Mexico City–AIFA, Monterrey, San José del Cabo, Tijuana Seasonal: Chihuahua[citation needed]
Volaris	Guadalajara, Mexicali, Mexico City, Mexico City–AIFA, Monterrey, Phoenix–Sky Harbor, San José del Cabo, Tijuana

Cargo

Airlines	Destinations
Estafeta	San Luis Potosí, Tijuana

Passenger terminal main hall

Check-in area

Passenger terminal main hall

Passenger terminal at night

Viva Aerobus Airbus A320 at CUL

Destinations map

Culiacán Monterrey Mexico City Tijuana Mexico City/AIFA Guadalajara San José del Cabo La Paz Hermosillo Chihuahua Mexicali Domestic destinations from Culiacán International Airport Red = Year-round destination Blue = Future destination Green = Seasonal destination

Phoenix Sky Harbor International destinations from Culiacán International Airport Red = Year-round destination Blue = Future destination Green = Seasonal destination

Statistics

Busiest routes

Busiest routes from Culiacán International Airport (2023)^[6]

Rank	City	Passengers	Ranking	Airline
1	Baja California, Tijuana	499,024		Viva Aerobus, Volaris
2	Mexico City, Mexico City	261,543		Aeroméxico, Aeroméxico Connect, Viva Aerobus, Volaris
3	Jalisco, Guadalajara	157,419		Viva Aerobus, Volaris
4	Baja California Sur, San José del Cabo	112,153		Aero Pacífico, Viva Aerobus, Volaris
5	Baja California, Mexicali	98,121		Calafia Airlines, TAR, Volaris
6	Nuevo León, Monterrey	72,720		Calafia Airlines, TAR, Viva Aerobus
7	Baja California Sur, La Paz	35,762		Calafia Airlines, TAR, Viva Aerobus
8	Quintana Roo, Cancún	22,348		Viva Aerobus, Volaris
9	State of Mexico, Mexico City-AIFA	8,823		Volaris
10	Sonora, Hermosillo	8,075	1	TAR
11	Querétaro, Querétaro	7,918	1	Volaris
12	United States, Phoenix	7,334	3	American Eagle, Volaris

Accidents and incidents

• On July 5, 2007, a twin-engine Sabreliner cargo jet failed to take off from the airport due to a loss of control resulting from a tire blowout and slid off the runway onto a highway. Three people died on board the plane and six on the ground; five more were injured.^[7]
• On April 24, 2012, a Cessna 182 registered XBMPN for private use crashed in the airport a few seconds after it took off. The plane was heading to Chihuahua Airport, and at the time of the crash it carried only the pilot, who sustained minor injuries. The aircraft remained in some trees at the end of the runway, still on airport property.^[8]
• On January 5, 2023, an Aeromexico Embraer E190 operating a passenger flight to Mexico City International Airport was hit by gunfire from members of a drug cartel. There were no injuries amongst the passengers or crew on board. A Mexican Air Force 737-800 was also shot at.^{[citation needed]}

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 Centro Norte
• List of Mexican military installations
• Mexican Air Force