Tampico International Airport

Tampico International Airport
Aeropuerto Internacional de Tampico
Summary
Airport typePublic
OperatorGrupo Aeroportuario Centro Norte
ServesTampico, Tamaulipas, Mexico
Opened1929
Time zoneCST (UTC-06:00)
Elevation AMSL24 m / 79 ft
Coordinates22°17′47″N 097°51′57″W / 22.29639°N 97.86583°W / 22.29639; -97.86583
Websitewww.oma.aero/en/passengers/tampico/index.php
Map
TAM is located in Tamaulipas
TAM
TAM
Location of the airport in Tamaulipas
TAM is located in Mexico
TAM
TAM
TAM (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 (2025)
Total passengers609,476
Ranking in Mexico36th Increase 1
Source: Grupo Aeroportuario Centro Norte.[1]

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.

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, after Monterrey Airport,[3] handling 560,679 passengers in 2024 and 609,476 in 2025.[1]

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.[citation needed]

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.[citation needed]

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.[citation needed]

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

AirlinesDestinations
Aeroméxico Mexico City–Benito Juárez[5]
Aeroméxico Connect Mexico City–Benito Juárez[6]
Aerus Monterrey,[7] Veracruz[8]
American Eagle Dallas/Fort Worth[9]
United Houston-Intercontinental[10]
Viva Cancún,[11] Mexico City–Felipe Ángeles,[12] Monterrey,[13] Villahermosa[14]
Departures concourse

Destination maps

Domestic destinations from Tampico International Airport
Red = Year-round destination
Blue = Future destination
Green = Seasonal destination
International destinations from Tampico International Airport
Red = Year-round destination
Blue = Future destination
Green = Seasonal destination

Statistics

Annual Traffic

Passenger statistics at TAM[1]
Year Total Passengers change %
2008 582,328 Steady
2009 470,304 Decrease 19.23%
2010 451,005 Decrease 4.10%
2011 548,083 Increase 21.52%
2012 594,797 Increase 8.53%
2013 608,813 Increase 2.36%
2014 688,893 Increase 13.16%
2015 763,744 Increase 10.86%
2016 717,599 Decrease 6.04%
2017 717,342 Decrease 0.04%
2018 736,627 Increase 2.69%
2019 739,143 Increase 0.34%
2020 270,835 Decrease 63.39%
2021 397,191 Increase 46.66%
2022 495,602 Increase 24.78%
2023 563,204 Increase 13.64%
2024 560,679 Decrease 0.45%
2025 609,476 Increase 8.71%

Busiest routes

Busiest domestic routes from TAM (Jan–Dec 2025)[15]
Rank Airport Passengers
1 Mexico City Mexico City, Mexico City 140,405
2 Nuevo León Monterrey, Nuevo León 59,299
3 State of Mexico Mexico City–AIFA, State of Mexico 26,356
4 United States Houston–Intercontinental, United States 27,197
5 Quintana Roo Cancún, Quintana Roo 19,365
6 United States Dallas/Fort Worth, United States 14,063
7 Jalisco Guadalajara, Jalisco 9,713
8 Tabasco Villahermosa, Tabasco 889

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "OMA's December 2024 Total Passenger Traffic" (PDF). oma.aero. Grupo Aeroportuario Centro Norte. January 2026. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  2. ^ "Aeropuerto Internacional de Tampico celebra 51 años de historia". 17 March 2021.
  3. ^ "Estadística Operacional de Aeropuertos / Statistics by Airport". Agencia Federal de Aviación Civil. Retrieved 27 January 2025.
  4. ^ "Bases Aéreas. Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional".
  5. ^ "Aerolíneas y Rutas". OMA (in Spanish). 2025. Retrieved 31 January 2026.
  6. ^ "Aerolíneas y Rutas". OMA (in Spanish). 2025. Retrieved 31 January 2026.
  7. ^ "Aerus airline takes off with new route from Tampico to Monterrey". Milenio (in Spanish). February 2026. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
  8. ^ "Route Networks". Aerus. Retrieved 10 March 2026.
  9. ^ "American Airlines adds daily flights to Tampico, Mexico". NBC DFW. 6 March 2025. Retrieved 31 January 2026.
  10. ^ "Aerolíneas y Rutas". OMA (in Spanish). 2025. Retrieved 31 January 2026.
  11. ^ "Aerolíneas y Rutas". OMA (in Spanish). 2025. Retrieved 31 January 2026.
  12. ^ "Aerolíneas y Rutas". OMA (in Spanish). 2025. Retrieved 31 January 2026.
  13. ^ "Aerolíneas y Rutas". OMA (in Spanish). 2025. Retrieved 31 January 2026.
  14. ^ "After five years, the Tampico-Villahermosa flight returns; Viva Aerobus reactivates suspended route". El Sol de Tampico (in Spanish). October 2025. Retrieved 22 October 2025.
  15. ^ "Estadística operacional por origen-destino / Traffic Statistics by City Pairs" (in Spanish). Agencia Federal de Aviación Civil. January 2026. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Francisco_Javier_Mina_International_Airport