Mérida International Airport

Mérida International Airport (Aeropuerto Internacional de Mérida); officially Aeropuerto Internacional Manuel Crescencio Rejón (Manuel Crescencio Rejón International Airport) is an international airport located in the Mexican city of Mérida. It serves as the primary international gateway to Mérida and the State of Yucatán, a popular tourist destination, offering flights to and from Mexico, the United States, Canada, Central America, and the Caribbean. The airport also accommodates facilities for the Mexican Airspace Navigation Services, and the Mexican Army, and supports various tourism, flight training, and general aviation activities. Additionally, it serves as a focus city for Viva Aerobus.

The airport is named in honor of the jurist and politician Manuel Crescencio García Rejón, who was originally from Yucatán. It is operated by the Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste (ASUR). The airport has become one of the fastest-growing airports in the country. In 2022, it handled 3,079,618 passengers, surpassing three million passengers in a calendar year for the first time; and in 2023, the number increased to 3,674,103 passengers. It also ranked as the eighth-busiest airport in terms of passengers and aircraft movements, and tenth for cargo.

History
The airport's history traces back to its inauguration in 1929 when Mexicana de Aviación introduced the Mérida-Campeche-Ciudad del Carmen-Minatitlán-Veracruz-Mexico City route, operated with a Ford Trimotor aircraft. In 1964, Mexicana de Aviación sold the airport to the Mexican government. A significant reconstruction of the airport was completed in 1968, replacing the previous facilities. During the 1960s, American Airlines provided service to the airport, making it one of the few airports, apart from Mexico City and Acapulco, to be served by a major airline.

During the 1990s, the airport became part of the Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, marking an important instance of a private concession within this group. This consortium encompasses various airports, including Cancún, Cozumel, Huatulco, Mérida, Minatitlán, Oaxaca, Tapachula, Villahermosa, and Veracruz. Throughout the years, it underwent several modifications and modernizations, notably in 1999, 2011, and 2021. The airport has welcomed distinguished political and religious figures, such as Pope John Paul II, as well as U.S. Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, and President of China, Xi Jinping.

Throughout its history, the airport has been serviced by a range of airlines, including Aero California, Aeromar, Aviateca, Blue Panorama Airlines, Cubana, Delta, Interjet, Mexicana, Neos, Pan Am, Lufthansa, TAR, and Tropic Air. From 1972 to 2005, it functioned as the primary hub for Aerocaribe and Aerocozumel, both subsidiaries of the former Mexicana. Between 1992 and 1995 it served as a hub for Aviacsa, and more recently, it was home to the regional airline Mayair.

Facilities
The airport is situated in the Mérida urban area, less than 5 km southwest of the city center, at an elevation of 12 m above sea level. It features two runways: Runway 10/28, which is 3200 m long, and Runway 18/36, which spans 2300 m. Adjacent to the terminal, there is a commercial aviation apron capable of accommodating up to 11 narrow-body aircraft or a combination of 3 narrow-body and 3 wide-body aircraft. Additionally, a remote stand is available for 2 narrow-body aircraft. The airport has the capacity to service airplanes as large as Boeing 747s and 777s, although most daily flights involve smaller aircraft, with the most common being the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320. The airport can handle up to 30 operations per hour and operates around the clock.

Passenger terminal
The passenger terminal is a two-story structure. The ground floor comprises the main entrance, a check-in area, and the arrivals section, which includes customs and immigration facilities, along with baggage claim services. Additionally, car rental services, taxi stands, snack bars, and souvenir shops are available. The upper terminal floor hosts a security checkpoint and departure area, featuring a 260 m long departures concourse. Within this section, there are restaurants, food stands, duty-free shops, VIP lounges, and eleven gates (C1-11), with seven of them equipped with jet bridges.

In the vicinity of the terminal, various facilities are located, including civil aviation hangars, cargo and logistics companies, and cargo services. There is also a dedicated general aviation terminal that supports a range of activities, such as tourism, flight training, executive aviation, and general aviation.

Other facilities
The airport is home to the Mérida Area Control Center (ACC), one of four such centers in Mexico, alongside the Mexico City ACC, Monterrey ACC, and Mazatlán ACC. Operated by the Mexican Airspace Navigation Services (Servicios a la Navegación en el Espacio Aéreo Mexicano), Mérida ACC provides air traffic control services for aircraft operating within the Mérida Flight Data Region (FDRG), which encompasses the southeastern region of Mexico. This region shares its boundaries with six other Area Control Centers. To the west, it borders the Monterrey ACC and Mexico ACC, while to the north, it shares borders with the Houston ARTCC (KZHU), and to the east and south, it connects with the Havana ACC (MUFH) and the Central American ACC (MHTG), respectively.

Air Force Base No. 8 (Base Aérea Militar No. 8 Mérida, Yucatán) (BAM-8) is located on the airport grounds, north of Runway 10/28. It serves as the home for Air Squadron 114, responsible for operating Cessna 182 aircraft. BAM-8 features two aprons, one spanning 11775 m2 and another covering 4000 m2. In addition to these, it includes three hangars and various other facilities for accommodating Air Force personnel.

Passenger
Viva Aerobus flight to Tijuana makes a stopover in León/El Bajío.

Accidents and incidents

 * On 9 April 1958, a Vickers Viscount of Cubana de Aviación was hijacked en route from José Martí International Airport, Havana, to Santa Clara Airport. The aircraft landed at Mérida-Rejón Airport, Mexico, where the hijack ended.
 * On 1 June 2023, an Aeromexico Boeing 737-8JP declared a Squawk 7700, a regulation for emergency on an aircraft. While en route to Mexico City, the aircraft, registered XA-PPP diverted back to Merida International Airport. The aircraft suffered an engine loss and safely landed with no deaths to the people on board.