Puebla International Airport
Puebla International Airport,[1] (Spanish: Aeropuerto Internacional de Puebla) officially Aeropuerto Internacional Hermanos Serdán (Hermanos Serdán International Airport) (IATA: PBC, ICAO: MMPB) is an international airport located in the municipalities of Huejotzingo, Tlaltenango and Juan C. Bonilla near Puebla, Mexico. It handles national and international air traffic for the Metropolitan area of Puebla, the fourth-largest metro area in Mexico. It is one of the fastest-growing airports in the country, it served 565,387 passengers in 2021 and 790,931 in 2022 according to its operator Aeropuertos y Servicios Auxiliares (ASA).[2] Puebla Airport was named after Aquiles Serdán, Máximo Serdán, and María del Carmen Serdán, known as the Serdán siblings, who were leaders of the anti-reelection movement during the Mexican Revolution.
Puebla International Airport Aeropuerto Internacional de Puebla | |||||||||||
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Summary | |||||||||||
Airport type | Public | ||||||||||
Operator | Aeropuertos y Servicios Auxiliares | ||||||||||
Serves | Puebla Metropolitan Area | ||||||||||
Location | Huejotzingo, Puebla | ||||||||||
Time zone | CST (UTC−06:00) | ||||||||||
Elevation AMSL | 7,361 ft / 2,244 m | ||||||||||
Coordinates | 19°09′29″N 98°22′17″W | ||||||||||
Website | https://www.gob.mx/asa/en | ||||||||||
Map | |||||||||||
PBC Location of airport in Puebla PBC PBC (Mexico) | |||||||||||
Runways | |||||||||||
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Statistics (2022) | |||||||||||
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Source: Aeropuertos y Servicios Auxiliares |
History
The airport commenced operations in 1985, with its inaugural flight arriving from Guadalajara and operated by Mexicana de Aviación. In 1993, Puebla Air Lines started connecting Puebla to major destinations within Mexico but ceased operations in 1995 due to the Mexican peso crisis. In 1996, the airport, which was previously a national aerodrome, was designated as the "Hermanos Serdán" International Airport.
Operadora Estatal de Aeropuertos (OEA) assumed the airport management and development in 2001, with shared ownership among the Puebla State Government (26%), Operadora Internacional de Aeropuertos (49%), and Aeropuertos y Servicios Auxiliares (25%). In 2011, OEA was dissolved by the State Government of Puebla due to budgetary issues, and Aeropuertos y Servicios Auxiliares (ASA) took over the airport operations.
Throughout the 2000s and 2010s, there were political initiatives aimed at positioning Puebla Airport, along with Toluca, Cuernavaca, and Querétaro airports, as supplementary options for serving the Mexico City Area. Various airlines, including MexicanaLink, Copa Airlines, Aeroméxico, Aero California, and American Eagle introduced flight services at the airport. However, most air travelers to Puebla still tend to use the Mexico City International Airport, which is situated less than 100 km (65 mi) west of the city and very well connected via highways and bus services. Puebla Airport's capacities remain underutilized, even though it has the potential to serve the Puebla Metropolitan Area, which is home to nearly three and a half million inhabitants.[3] Furthermore, the opening of Mexico City-Felipe Angeles Airport has made it more challenging for PBC to attract commercial flights.
In 2007, the Logistic Airport Center was established, offering comprehensive cargo management and commercial processing facilities. The airport experienced significant growth in passenger numbers, operations, and cargo handling during the 2010s. Over the years, the airport has faced temporary closures due to ash spewing from the nearby Popocatepetl volcano.[4]
Facilities
The airport is situated at an elevation of 2,244 m (7,361 ft) above mean sea level. It features a single runway measuring 3,600 meters (11,811 feet) in length and an apron with 6 Category D aircraft stands for both commercial and cargo operations. It also includes an area for general and executive aviation. The terminal building is a one-story structure with the capacity to serve up to 450 passengers per hour. This terminal comprises arrival facilities and a departure concourse equipped with five gates and an airport lounge[5] operated by Global Lounge Network.[6]
Furthermore, Puebla Airport is home to logistics and courier companies, managing an annual cargo volume of two thousand tons. This includes textile products, vehicle motor parts, machinery, postal items, airborne parcel services, and perishable goods like fruits and flowers.
Airlines and destinations
Passengers
Airlines | Destinations |
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Magni | Seasonal: Cancún |
United Express | Houston–Intercontinental |
Viva Aerobus | Cancún, Guadalajara, Mérida, Monterrey, Tijuana |
Volaris | Cancún, Monterrey, Tijuana |
Cargo
Airlines | Destinations |
---|---|
Aeronaves TSM | Laredo |
Estafeta | San Luis Potosí, Villahermosa |
Destinations map
Destinations map |
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Airlines previously flying to Puebla International Airport
Airlines |
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Aero California, Aeromar, Aeroméxico, Aeroméxico Connect, Aladia, Alma de México, Avolar, American Eagle, Continental Express, Copa Airlines, Líneas Aéreas Azteca, Mexicana, MexicanaLink |
Statistics
Passengers
Busiest routes
Rank | City | Passengers | Ranking | Airline |
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1 | Quintana Roo, Cancún | 69,499 | Magni, VivaAerobús, Volaris | |
2 | Baja California, Tijuana | 49,769 | 1 | Volaris |
3 | Nuevo León, Monterrey | 41,082 | 1 | Aeroméxico Connect, VivaAerobús, Volaris |
4 | Jalisco, Guadalajara | 14,845 | Aeromar, VivaAerobús | |
5 | Jalisco, Puerto Vallarta | 3,580 | VivaAerobús | |
6 | Chiapas, Tuxtla Gutiérrez | 3,267 | VivaAerobús |
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
- Metropolitan areas of Mexico
- Mexico City megalopolis
- Puebla Metropolitan Area
- Central de Autobuses Puebla
References
- "Puebla International Airport". PueblaCity.com. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
Puebla International Airport, officially Hermanos Serdán International Airport (IATA: PBC, ICAO: MMPB). The airport was named for Aquiles Serdán, Máximo Serdán and María del Carmen Serdán, known as the Serdán brothers, leaders of the revolutionary Maderista anti-reelectionism.
- "Operational Statistics of Airports in the ASA Network" (in Spanish). Aeropuertos y Servicios Auxiliares. January 2023. Retrieved January 15, 2023.
- Goytia, María José (27 May 2022). "Puebla International Airport to Modernize Cargo Flights". Mexicobusiness.News. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
Luis Espinosa Rueda, President, CANACINTRA Puebla, highlighted the need to end the underutilization of the airport, which instead should be uses [sic] as a source of economic growth for Puebla's industries.
- "Mexico: Authorities temporarily close Puebla International Airport due to volcanic ash fall May 21 2023".
- "Aeropuerto Internacional Hermanos Serdán de Puebla".
- "Global Lounge Network – Our Lounges".
- "Traffic Statistics by Airline" (in Spanish). Secretaría de Comunicaciones y Transportes. January 2021. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
External links
- Media related to Puebla International Airport at Wikimedia Commons
- Official Website
- Puebla Airport information at Great Circle Mapper
- Accident history for PBC at Aviation Safety Network