Guadalupe Island Naval Airfield

Guadalupe Island Naval Airfield
Aeropista Naval Militar de Isla Guadalupe
Summary
Airport typeMilitary
OperatorSecretariat of the Navy
ServesGuadalupe Island
LocationEnsenada Municipality
CommanderVice Admiral Juan Carlos Vera Mijares
Elevation AMSL1,935 ft / 590 m
Coordinates29°01′25″N 118°16′20″W / 29.02361°N 118.27222°W / 29.02361; -118.27222
Websitewww.gob.mx/semar/directorio-de-mandos-navales
Map
IGD
Location of the airport in Mexico
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
05/23 3,945 1,202 Asphalt
SEMAR[1]

The Guadalupe Island Naval Military Airstrip (ICAO Code: MMGD – AFAC Code: IGD), or simply Guadalupe Island Airfield, is a small military airfield located on Guadalupe Island, Baja California, and is operated by the Mexican Navy. It has a runway 1,202 meters long and 28 meters wide. It is the westernmost airfield in Mexico.[2][3][4]

The airfield is located in the public use subzone known as "Campo Pista," which covers 188 hectares (464.6 acres). Also located on this land is the former Guadalupe Island airfield, situated one mile southeast of the current one, which had an 800-meter unpaved runway. The airfield is used for the landing and takeoff of aircraft transporting personnel, equipment, food, and fish products for the Mexican Navy, the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (CONANP), and the Fishermen's Cooperative Society. It is also one of the main access points to the island for researchers and tourists seeking to dive and observe great white sharks.[2][5]

The Mexican Navy is the agency responsible for inspecting the luggage of passengers taking flights to Guadalupe Island from Ensenada Airport, in order to prevent the introduction of biosecurity risk factors related to invasive alien species (IAS).[6]

References

  1. ^ SEMAR (2025). "Directorio de bases navales" [Directory of naval bases] (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-07-18.
  2. ^ a b "Aeródromo Isla Guadalupe" [Isla Guadalupe Airfield]. Metar-TAF.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 2026-02-27.
  3. ^ "Aeródromo Isla Guadalupe". PilotNav.com. Retrieved 2026-02-27.
  4. ^ "Airport Isla Guadalupe". fallingrain.com. Retrieved 2026-02-27.
  5. ^ Programa de Manejo Reserva de la Biosfera Isla Guadalupe [Guadalupe Island Biosphere Reserve Management Program] (PDF) (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Mexico City, Mexico: Litografía Mier y Concha, S.A. de C.V. 2013. pp. 110–114. ISBN 978-607-8246-53-3. Retrieved 2026-02-27.
  6. ^ Parkes, John (2013). "Strategies to detect and manage incursions of exotic species on Mexican islands" (PDF). Kurahaupo Consulting. pp. 5–7. Retrieved 2026-02-27.