Culiacán International Airport, (); officially Aeropuerto Internacional Federal de Bachigualato (Bachigualato Federal International Airport) (), is an international airport located in Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico. It serves as the primary air traffic gateway to the Culiacán metropolitan area, offering nonstop flights to many cities in Mexico and serving as a gateway in a heavily traveled air corridor connecting mainland Mexico to the Baja California peninsula. It is also a focus city for Volaris.
The airport accommodates military facilities for the Mexican Army and supports various tourism, flight training, and general aviation activities. It is operated by Grupo Aeroportuario Centro Norte and takes its name from the neighborhood of Bachigualato, where it is situated. Culiacán Airport ranks as the eleventh-busiest in Mexico and is the third-largest in northwestern Mexico. It is also the busiest for domestic traffic and the second-busiest for international operations in the state of Sinaloa. In 2024, Culiacán Airport served 2,240,034 passengers, and 2,162,362 in 2025.
Facilities
Culiacán Airport is situated in the Bachigualato neighborhood, located southwest of the city center of Culiacán. It is situated at an elevation of above mean sea level and features a long runway. The airport features two aprons with parking positions for up to 10 narrow-body commercial aircraft, as well as a separate apron dedicated to general aviation. It has a capacity for 22 operations per hour. Under favorable weather conditions, flights arriving from the Baja California Peninsula and northern regions use Runway 02, while those arriving from other parts of the country use Runway 20.
The main terminal serves essential functions, with check-in and baggage handling facilities on the eastern side, and the arrivals section on the west side, which includes customs and immigration facilities. The arrivals section also provides services such as car rental, taxi stands, snack bars, and souvenir shops. The upper floor of the terminal houses the security checkpoint and a departure section that hosts a food court, duty-free shops, a VIP lounge, and a concourse featuring five gates, three of which are equipped with jet bridges.
Adjacent to the terminal, there are other facilities, including civil aviation hangars, cargo and logistics companies, and courier services. Additionally, there is a dedicated general aviation terminal that supports a variety of activities, including tourism, flight training, executive aviation, and general aviation. In 2023, Grupo Aeroportuario Centro Norte announced a major renovation project for Culiacán International Airport. This project is expected to be completed within 5 years and aims to accommodate an estimated 5 million passengers. The renovation plan includes expanding waiting areas, adding additional gates, and completely revamping the terminal area. The total investment for this project is set at a minimum of 636 million Mexican pesos.
Air Force Base No. 10 () (B.A.M 10) is situated at the southern end of the airport grounds. This base houses Air Squadron 109, which operates Cessna 182 aircraft, and it features two aviation aprons. One of these aprons covers an area of , while the other spans , offering 30 parking positions for helicopters and small airplanes. The larger apron is primarily utilized as a maintenance center for single-engine Cessna aircraft and Bell helicopters. Additionally, the Air Base includes five hangars and other facilities to accommodate Air Force personnel.
Airlines and destinations
Passenger
Cargo
Destinations map
Statistics Annual Traffic + Passenger statistics at Culiacán International Airport Year Total Passengers change % 2008 1,099,038 2009 1,062,893 3.29% 2010 1,059,904 0.28% 2011 1,070,706 1.02% 2012 1,168,380 9.12% 2013 1,252,235 7.18% 2014 1,307,717 4.43% 2015 1,432,315 9.53% 2016 1,726,654 20.55% 2017 1,909,651 10.60% 2018 2,270,834 18.92% 2019 2,458,863 8.28% 2020 1,373,102 44.15% 2021 1,970,211 43.50% 2022 2,426,003 23.13% 2023 2,612,249 7.68% 2024 2,240,034 14.25% 2025 2,162,362 3.47%
Busiest routes + Busiest routes from CUL (Jan–Dec 2025) Rank Airport Passengers 1 Tijuana, Baja California 375,045 2 Mexico City–Benito Juárez, Mexico City 164,332 3 Guadalajara, Jalisco 155,557 4 Monterrey, Nuevo León 121,020 5 San José del Cabo, Baja California Sur 96,838 6 Mexico City-Felipe Ángeles, State of Mexico 54,554 7 Mexicali, Baja California 43,807 8 La Paz, Baja California 26,062 9 Phoenix–Sky Harbor, United States 11,720 10 Cancún, Quintana Roo 7,850
Accidents and incidents On July 5, 2007, a twin-engine Sabreliner cargo jet failed to take off from the airport due to a loss of control resulting from a tire blowout and slid off the runway onto a highway. Three people died on board the plane and six on the ground; five more were injured. On April 24, 2012, a Cessna 182 registered XBMPN for private use crashed in the airport a few seconds after it took off. The plane was heading to Chihuahua Airport, and at the time of the crash it carried only the pilot, who sustained minor injuries. The aircraft remained in some trees at the end of the runway, still on airport property. On January 5, 2023, during the second arrest of Ovidio Guzmán López, an Aeromexico Embraer E190 operating a passenger flight to Mexico City International Airport was hit by gunfire from members of a drug cartel. There were no injuries amongst the passengers or crew on board. A Mexican Air Force 737-800 was also shot at.
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
External links
Official Website Grupo Aeroportuario Centro Norte
Culiacán Airport information at Great Circle Mapper Accident history for CUL at Aviation Safety Network