Ciudad del Carmen International Airport () is an international airport located in Ciudad del Carmen, Campeche, Mexico. It manages both national and international air traffic for the city of Ciudad del Carmen and western Campeche. The airport serves as a gateway for helicopter services within an industrial corridor connecting mainland Mexico to offshore oil fields in the Gulf of Mexico. It also supports cargo flights and various executive and general aviation activities. However, the recent contraction in oil industry activity in the area has had a negative impact on the airport's operations.
Operated by Grupo Aeroportuario Marina (GAM), a federal government-owned holding company, the airport handled 292,917 passengers in 2025, which was a 8% decrease from previous year.
History Before the construction of the current airport, Ciudad del Carmen operated Carranza Airport, which provided services for Mexicana de Aviación on the Veracruz-Villahermosa-Ciudad del Carmen-Mérida route since 1928.
The current airport was built in 1942, and it became operational on February 23, 1944, under an agreement with the United States to monitor the area during World War II. The construction cost of the airport was 9 million pesos. Its management became part of Aeropuertos y Servicios Auxiliares (ASA) in 1965.
The oil production boom and infrastructure development associated with the oil industry in the Gulf of Mexico significantly increased operations at the airport. For many decades, the airport offered services to other industrial cities in the Gulf region like Villahermosa, Poza Rica, and Reynosa, major cities like Monterrey, Guadalajara, and Cancun, and international flights to Houston by Continental Express, primarily serving the oil industry market.
Reaching a peak of 661,901 passengers in 2015, the airport has since experienced a decline with the downturn in oil and petrochemical activities in the region. In 2017, United Express canceled service to Houston. Despite a mild rebound in 2019, only 342,737 passengers passed through Ciudad del Carmen in 2023.
Facilities The airport is situated at an elevation of above sea level, covering an area of . It features a single asphalt runway, designated as 05/23, measuring in length. The commercial aviation apron spans , featuring three stands for narrow-body aircraft. Official business hours are from 7:00 to 19:00.
The passenger terminal, a single-story structure, caters to both domestic and international arrivals and departures. The departure facilities include check-in areas, a security checkpoint, and a departure concourse with two gates with direct access to the apron. The arrivals section features customs and immigration facilities, a baggage claim zone, and an arrivals hall with car rental services, taxi stands, and several retail stores. Adjacent facilities include parking areas, civil aviation hangars, cargo facilities, and spaces for general aviation.
Within the airport facilities, an independent terminal and a heliport with multiple helipads and hangars serve air connections catered for Pemex, connecting Ciudad del Carmen with offshore oil fields in the Gulf of Mexico. This heliport ranks as the number one in Mexico in terms of flight hours.
Airlines and destinations
Passenger
Destinations map
Statistics Annual Traffic + Passenger statistics at CME Year Total Passengers change % Cargo movements (t) Air operations 2006 497,579 691 51,958 2007 566,500 13.85% 618 57,450 2008 586,950 3.60% 593 56,037 2009 558,642 4.82% 506 56,634 2010 507,386 9.17% 485 50,139 2011 516,205 1.73% 389 51,139 2012 587,339 13.78% 503 57,983 2013 548,941 6.53% 396 49,281 2014 661,901 20.57% 424 59,591 2015 623,154 5.85% 384 56,058 2016 459,497 26.26% 340 36,750 2017 362,795 21.04% 330 32,065 2018 362,663 0.04% 373 33,337 2019 401,316 10.66% 436 35,921 2020 260,074 35.19% 207 34,318 2021 322,401 23.96% 365 42,923 2022 339,294 5.24% 394 42,248 2023 342,737 1.01% 337 41,559 2024 318,782 6.99% 343 43,016 2025 292,917 8.11% 386 29,625
Busiest routes + Busiest routes from CME (Jan–Dec 2025) Rank Airport Passengers 1 Mexico City, Mexico City 86,527 2 Minatitlán/Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz 384 3 Veracruz, Veracruz 32
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 Aeropuertos y Servicios Auxiliares Petroleum industry in Mexico
References
External links
Official Website Aeropuertos y Servicios Auxiliares Ciudad del Carmen Airport information at Great Circle Mapper
Accident history for CME at Aviation Safety Network