Tampico International Airport

Tampico International Airport (Spanish: Aeropuerto Internacional de Tampico); officially Aeropuerto Internacional General Francisco Javier Mina (General Francisco Javier Mina International Airport) (IATA: TAM, ICAO: MMTM) is an international airport situated in Tampico, Tamaulipas, Mexico. It manages air traffic for the metropolitan area of Tampico, including Ciudad Madero and Altamira, handling both national and international flights. The airport also accommodates military facilities and supports logistics, cargo, flight training, and general aviation activities. Operated by Grupo Aeroportuario Centro Norte, it is named after General Javier Mina, a key figure in Mexico's War of Independence.

Tampico International Airport Aeropuerto Internacional de Tampico
IATA: TAM ICAO: MMTM
Summary
Airport type	Public
Operator	Grupo Aeroportuario Centro Norte
Serves	Tampico, Tamaulipas, Mexico
Opened	1929
Time zone	CST (UTC-06:00)
Elevation AMSL	24 m / 79 ft
Coordinates	22°17′47″N 097°51′57″W
Website	www.oma.aero/en/passengers/tampico/index.php
Map
TAM Location of the airport in Tamaulipas Show map of Tamaulipas TAM TAM (Mexico) Show map of Mexico
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 09/27 1,200 3,937 Asphalt 13/31 2,550 8,366 Asphalt 18/36 1,300 4,265 Asphalt
Statistics (2023)
Total passengers 563,204 Ranking in Mexico 34th 2
Source: Grupo Aeroportuario Centro Norte.[1]

Formerly known as Campo de Aviación George Lawrence Rihl, ^[2] the airport was inaugurated in October 1929. It operated the first commercial flight in the history of Mexico, conducted by Compañía Mexicana de Aviación, with its destination set for Mexico City. Tampico Airport is one of the few airports in Mexico equipped with three runways, sharing this distinction with Chihuahua and Mexico City-AIFA. It ranks as the second busiest airport in northeastern Mexico, following Monterrey Airport. The airport handled 495,602 passengers in 2022, and this number increased to 563,204 passengers in 2023.^[3]

Facilities

Passenger terminal airside

Check-in area

The airport is located within the Tampico urban area, approximately 8 kilometres (5 mi) north of the city center. Covering a total area of 391 hectares (966 acres) at an elevation of 24 metres (79 ft) above sea level, it features three asphalt-surfaced runways: Runway 13/31, the primary one measuring 2,550 metres (8,366 ft), Runway 09/27 at 1,200 metres (3,937 ft), and Runway 18/36 spanning 1,300 metres (4,265 ft). It was the first in the country to be equipped with an instrument landing system (ILS). The airport's commercial aviation apron provides seven parking positions for narrow-body aircraft, and an adjacent general aviation apron caters to fixed-wing aircraft and heliports for private aviation.

The passenger terminal is a two-story building that facilitates both domestic and international flights. On the ground floor, it houses check-in and arrivals facilities, including customs and immigration, baggage claim, car rental services, taxi stands, and snack bars. The upper floor of the terminal accommodates the security checkpoint and a departure area containing duty-free shops, a VIP lounge, and a departures concourse featuring six gates, two of which are equipped with jet bridges.

Fuel truck at Tampico Airport

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

Air Force Station No. 4 (Spanish: Estación Aérea Militar N.º 4) (E.A.M. 4), located on the airport's grounds, is a facility of the Mexican Air Force. Currently, there are no active squadrons assigned to it. The station comprises a 10,000 square metres (107,639 sq ft) apron, a hangar, and other facilities intended for the accommodation of Air Force personnel.^[4]

Airlines and destinations

Monument sculpture commemorating 50 years of Mexicana de Aviación at Tampico Airport

Passenger

Airlines	Destinations
Aeroméxico	Mexico City
Aeroméxico Connect	Mexico City
American Eagle	Dallas/Fort Worth (begins March 1, 2025)[5]
United Express	Houston–Intercontinental
Viva	Cancún, Mexico City–AIFA, Monterrey

Departures concourse

Destination maps

Tampico Mexico City Monterrey Cancún Mexico City-AIFA Veracruz Villahermosa Matamoros Domestic destinations from Tampico International Airport Red = Year-round destination Blue = Future destination Green = Seasonal destination

Houston–Intercontinental Dallas/Fort Worth International destinations from Tampico International Airport Red = Year-round destination Blue = Future destination Green = Seasonal destination

Statistics

Passengers

Tampico Airport Passengers. See Wikidata query.

Busiest routes

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

Rank	City	Passengers	Ranking	Airline
1	Mexico City, Mexico City	171,583		Aeroméxico Connect, Viva Aerobus
2	Nuevo León, Monterrey	53,726		Viva Aerobus
3	Quintana Roo, Cancún	24,858		Viva Aerobus
4	United States, Houston-Intercontinental	21,822		United Express
5	Campeche, Ciudad del Carmen	3,547		TAR
6	Tamaulipas, Matamoros	377		Aerus
7	Veracruz, Veracruz	317		Aerus
8	Tamaulipas, Reynosa	231		Aerus
9	Veracruz, Poza Rica	47		Aerus
10	San Luis Potosí, San Luis Potosí	46		TAR

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

References

1. "OMA's December 2023 Total Passenger Traffic" (PDF; 292 KB). oma.aero. Grupo Aeroportuario del Centro Norte S.A.B. de C.V. 8 January 2024. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
2. "Aeropuerto Internacional de Tampico celebra 51 años de historia". 17 March 2021.
3. "Passenger's Traffic" (PDF). Grupo Aeroportuario Centro Norte (in Spanish). January 2022. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
4. "Bases Aéreas. Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional".
5. "American Airlines announces new flight between Dallas and Tampico". EnElAire (in Spanish). September 2024. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
6. "Estadística operacional por origen-destino / Traffic Statistics by City Pairs" (in Spanish). Agencia Federal de Aviación Civil. January 2024. Retrieved 1 February 2024.

External links

• Media related to General Francisco Javier Mina International Airport at Wikimedia Commons
• Official Website
• Grupo Aeroportuario Centro Norte
• Aeronautical chart and airport information for MMTM at SkyVector
• Current weather for MMTM at NOAA/NWS
• Tampico Airport information at Great Circle Mapper
• Accident history for TAM at Aviation Safety Network