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Got 1 min? Guanajuato International Airport sees record-breaking traffic

MND Staff
By MND Staff
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The 3 millionth passenger arrives at the Guanajuato International Airport
Government and Guanajuato International Airport officials greet the airport's three millionth visitor of 2023. (Guanajuato Tourism Ministry)

On Wednesday, Guanajuato International Airport, also known as Bajío International Airport (BJX), set a record of 3 million passengers this year, securing its spot in Mexico’s top ten most-used airports.

This figure surpasses the last record of 2.7 million passengers in 2019. In 2020, the airport, located near the city of León, registered 1.3 million passengers, increasing to 2.1 million in 2021 and 2.6 million in 2022. 

Tourism Minister Álvarez Brunel (right) with AIG director Jessica Paola Olivo Moreno and AFAC Commander Martín Navarro Niño.  (Guanajuato Tourism Ministry)

“Our partnership with the airport, airlines and the Federal Civil Aviation Agency (AFAC) is a testament to Guanajuato’s commitment to tourism,” the Guanajuato Tourism Minister Juan José Álvarez Brunel said in a statement, adding that the milestone confirms that Guanajuato “has been recovering significantly in tourism because the state is an attractive destination.” 

The airport is managed by Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico, the same group that manages the international airports of Guadalajara and Los Cabos. 

In terms of passengers, AIG occupied the No. 6 position of the 14 airports managed by the firm, with Guadalajara International Airport coming in as No. 1 with 14.7 million passengers, followed by Tijuana with 11 million and Los Cabos with 6.3 million. In terms of percentage of growth, however, Guanajuato comes in first place among GAP airports.

At a national level, AIG came in as the airport with the ninth-highest amount of passenger traffic. The top ten includes the Mexico City International Airport (AICM), followed by Cancún, Guadalajara, Tijuana, Monterrey, Los Cabos, Puerto Vallarta and Mérida. Culiacán International Airport takes the No. 10 spot.

AIG offers 19 domestic and 10 international routes, including its latest addition to San Antonio, Texas. The airlines that operate in the airport are Volaris, Viva Aerobús, Aeroméxico, American Airlines and United Airlines. 

In celebration of the new record, Álvarez Brunel went to the airport to welcome Karina Domínguez Sánchez, the 3 millionth passenger. Domínguez, who is from León, traveled with Volaris from Puerto Vallarta to Guanajuato.

With reports from AM

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