Playa de Oro International Airport

"Manzanillo Airport" redirects here. For the airport in Manzanillo, Cuba, see Sierra Maestra Airport.

Manzanillo International Airport
Aeropuerto Internacional de Manzanillo
Summary
Airport typePublic
OperatorGrupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico
ServesManzanillo, Colima, Mexico
OpenedOctober 16, 1973 (1973-10-16)[1]
Time zoneCST (UTC-06:00)
Elevation AMSL9 m / 30 ft
Coordinates19°08′41″N 104°33′31″W / 19.14472°N 104.55861°W / 19.14472; -104.55861
Websitewww.aeropuertosgap.com.mx/en/manzanillo-3.html
Map
ZLO
Location of the airport in Colima
ZLO
ZLO (Mexico)
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
10/28 2,200 7,218 Asphalt
Statistics (2025)
Total passengers231,200
Ranking in Mexico46th 2
Source: Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico[2]

Manzanillo International Airport (Spanish: Aeropuerto Internacional de Manzanillo); officially Aeropuerto Internacional Playa de Oro (Playa de Oro International Airport) (IATA: ZLO, ICAO: MMZO) is an international airport located in Manzanillo, Colima, Mexico. It manages domestic and international air traffic for the state of Colima and southern Jalisco, serving as an international gateway to the Mexican tourist destination of Manzanillo. Owned by Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico, the airport is named after the neighboring Playa de Oro ("Gold Beach"), itself named for the gold lost in the 1862 wreck of the SS Golden Gate. In 2024, it handled 208,400 passengers, increasing to 231,200 in 2025.[2]

History

Planning for a new international airport began in the late 1960s, driven by the development of the Las Hadas resort by Bolivian investor Antenor Patiño and the need for improved air access to the growing port of Manzanillo. The existing airfield at Salagua could only accommodate DC-3 aircraft and was surrounded by hills that posed safety concerns.[1]

The airport was inaugurated on 16 October 1973 by President Luis Echeverría Álvarez, with Governor Pablo Silva García in attendance. Construction cost 70 million pesos, partly financed by Patiño.[1] Commercial service by Aeroméxico began the previous day, initially using Hawker Siddeley HS 748 turboprops on flights 124 and 125 to Mexico City, with plans to upgrade to Douglas DC-9 jet service.[3]

Facilities

The airport is west of the city of Manzanillo, adjacent to the Pacific coast and near the limits with the state of Jalisco. It is situated at an elevation of 9 metres (30 ft) above mean sea level. The airport has one runway designated as 10/28 with an asphalt surface measuring 2,200 metres (7,200 ft) and the capacity to accommodate narrow-body aircraft. The apron has four stands for narrow-body aircraft.

The passenger terminal, covering an area of 4,700 square metres (51,000 sq ft), houses both arrival and departure facilities for domestic and international flights. The terminal can handle 470 passengers per hour and offers typical services found at a regional airport, including check-in counters for domestic and international flights, car rental services (Alamo, Budget, Sixt, and Thrifty), taxi stands, and a departure concourse with four gates providing direct access to the apron, enabling passengers to board their planes by walking to the aircraft.

Additionally, the airport accommodates logistics and courier companies and features a dedicated general aviation terminal that supports various activities such as tourism, flight training, executive aviation, and general aviation.

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

AirlinesDestinations
Aeroméxico Mexico City–Benito Juárez
Aeroméxico Connect Mexico City–Benito Juárez
Alaska Airlines Los Angeles
American Eagle Seasonal: Dallas/Fort Worth,[4] Phoenix–Sky Harbor[4]
United Express Seasonal: Houston–Intercontinental[5]
WestJet Seasonal: Calgary[6]
Destinations map
International destinations from Manzanillo International Airport
Red = Year-round destination
Blue = Future destination
Green = Seasonal destination

Statistics

Annual Traffic

Passenger statistics at ZLO[2]
Year Total Passengers change %
2006 222,094
2007 237,758 7.05%
2008 207,623 12.67%
2009 168,449 18.86%
2010 150,666 10.55%
2011 141,431 6.13%
2012 130,259 7.90%
2013 168,613 29.44%
2014 196,084 16.29%
2015 169,485 13.56%
2016 174,394 2.90%
2017 176,263 1.07%
2018 166,053 5.79%
2019 169,064 1.81%
2020 79,798 52.80%
2021 126,175 58.12%
2022 158,133 25.33%
2023 172,212 8.90%
2024 218,400 21.0%
2025 231,200 5.9%

Busiest routes

Busiest routes at ZLO (Jan–Dec 2025)[7]
Rank Airport Passengers
1 Mexico City, Mexico City 70,454
2 Los Angeles, United States 22,788
3 Calgary, Canada 8,922
4 Dallas/Fort Worth, United States 2,223
5 Houston–Intercontinental, United States 1,999
6 Phoenix–Sky Harbor, United States 1,686
7 Atlanta, United States 924

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Tello Díaz, Carlos (December 2012). "Antenor Patiño: un magnate boliviano en la costa mexicana del Pacífico". Latinoamérica. Revista de estudios Latinoamericanos (55).
  2. ^ a b c "GAP Traffic Report 2025" (PDF). Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico. January 2026. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
  3. ^ "Opera ya el vuelo regular de Aeromexico en el aeropuerto de Playa de Oro". Diario de Colima. 16 October 1973.
  4. ^ a b "Latin America and Caribbean Destinations Get a Boost with American Airlines' Major Winter Schedule". AviaciOnline. June 2023. Retrieved 8 May 2025.
  5. ^ "United and its impressive hub in Houston". NLarenas. May 2023. Retrieved 8 May 2025.
  6. ^ "WestJet conecta nuevamente a Manzanillo con Canadá". AviaciOnline (in Spanish). May 2023. Retrieved 8 May 2025.
  7. ^ "Estadística operacional por origen-destino / Traffic Statistics by City Pairs" (in Spanish). Agencia Federal de Aviación Civil. January 2026. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
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