León/Bajio International Airport (); officially Aeropuerto Internacional de Guanajuato (Guanajuato International Airport) , is an international airport situated in Silao, Guanajuato, Mexico. It is the main international airport serving the Greater León Metropolitan Area and the State of Guanajuato, which is home to a population of 6 million residents, including the cities of Celaya, Guanajuato, Irapuato, Salamanca, and San Miguel de Allende. In addition to offering domestic flights within Mexico, it serves as a gateway for international travel, connecting Central Mexico to various destinations in the United States. It serves as a focus city for Volaris and supports flight training, cargo, logistics and general aviation activities.

Operated by Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico (GAP), Bajío Airport derives its name from the cultural region "El Bajío" (the lowland), which is situated within the central Mexican plateau. It ranks as the ninth-busiest airport in Mexico in terms of passenger numbers and the seventh-busiest for international passenger traffic. In 2024, the airport served 3,169,000 passengers, a figure that increased to 3,301,500 in 2025, marking a 4.2% growth compared to the previous year and becoming the tenth airport in Mexico to surpass three million passengers in a calendar year.

History The airport was inaugurated in 1991 by President Carlos Salinas de Gortari, replacing the former San Carlos International Airport located in León. The growing industrial activity in the Bajío region and the massive migration of Mexicans to the United States in recent decades has been reflected in a substantial increase in international air transport demand. In 1999 the terminal went through an expansion project, improving equipment, and enhancing services for passengers. In February 2001, this airport received Air Force One during President George W. Bush's visit to Mexico. On March 23, 2012, the airport welcomed Pope Benedict XVI, who arrived on a direct flight from Rome, Italy, during his first and only visit to Mexico.

At the end of 2015, work began on the construction of a parallel taxiway along the entire length of the runway. In August 2016, the airport opened its first and only VIP lounge, while modernization and expansion work in the departure area and the entire terminal began, including the relocation of the customs and immigration checkpoint. Work was completed in mid-2018. Throughout its history, the airport has been served by various airlines, including Aeromar, Aviacsa, Calafia Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Delta Connection, Interjet, Mexicana, TAESA, and TAR Aerolíneas.

Facilities

The airport is located between the cities of León and Silao in Guanajuato, at an elevation of above mean sea level. It has a single runway, designated as 13/31, with a length of and an asphalt surface. The commercial aviation apron provides nine stands for receiving narrow-body aircraft. The general aviation apron offers stands for fixed-wing aircraft, in addition to heliports for private aviation. The airport also includes a cargo area called "Puerto Interior," which connects the airport with a freight rail and motor transportation hub. It is equipped to handle up to 26 flights per hour.

The passenger terminal accommodates both arrivals and departures for domestic and international flights. The ground floor houses the arrivals area with customs and immigration facilities, the baggage claim area, and the departures section that includes a check-in area, a security checkpoint, and a departures concourse with gates 4-6 that provide direct access to the apron, enabling passengers to walk to their aircraft. From this departure concourse, access to the upper floor is available, which houses snack bars, souvenir shops, and gates 1 to 3, which are equipped with jet bridges for boarding.

Bajío Airport currently lacks direct public transportation services, requiring travelers to use other transport options. The airport provides both short-term and long-term parking facilities. Car rental services are available on-site, with rental counters for Hertz, Budget, Veico, and City Car Rental located in the arrivals hall.Veico Car Rental

For intercity bus travel, Primera Plus and Unebus offer services to various destinations including León, San Miguel de Allende, Silao, Guanajuato, Purísima del Rincón, and San Francisco del Rincón. From León, passengers can connect to various destinations across Mexico. Advanced bookings can be made through shuttle services listed on local tourist websites, such as Viva, Primera Plus, and Unebus.

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

Destination maps

Statistics Annual traffic + Passenger statistics at Bajío International Airport Year Total passengers Change % 2008 1,102,800 2009 886,100 19.65% 2010 853,800 3.5% 2011 854,200 0.50% 2012 950,300 11.30% 2013 998,100 5.02% 2014 1,222,100 22.44% 2015 1,492,100 22.09% 2016 1,711,400 16.19% 2017 1,955,600 14.30% 2018 2,323,772 19.76% 2019 2,746,824 18.21% 2020 1,387,700 49.6% 2021 2,119,000 52.7% 2022 2,581,976 23.1% 2023 3,195,946 23.8% 2024 3,169,000 0.8% 2025 3,301,500 4.2%

Top destinations + Busiest domestic routes from BJX (Jan–Dec 2025) Rank City Passengers 1 Tijuana, Baja California 303,703 2 Monterrey, Nuevo León 238,688 3 Cancún, Quintana Roo 174,824 4 Mexico City, Mexico City 165,634 5 Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco 71,209 6 Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua 56,492 7 Mexico City–AIFA, State of Mexico 35,779 8 San José del Cabo, Baja Califormia Sur 30,451 9 Mexicali, Baja California 23,721 10 Mérida, Yucatán 23,680

+ Busiest international routes from BJX (Jan–Dec 2025) Rank City Passengers 1 Dallas/Fort Worth, United States 134,500 2 Houston-Intercontinental, United States 109,144 3 Chicago (O'Hare and Midway, United States) 69,733 4 Oakland, United States 39,840 5 Los Angeles, United States 32,910 6 Atlanta, United States 27,438 7 Fresno, United States 19,206 8 Sacramento, United States 18,720 9 San Antonio, United States 14,068 10 San Jose (CA), United States 10,847

Notes

Accidents and incidents On 17 September 2021, a Viva Airbus A320-200, registered XA-VAP, experienced an engine failure shortly after takeoff from El Bajío. The aircraft landed safely after circling the airport and burning fuel for 25 minutes.

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 del Pacífico Metropolitan areas of Mexico San Miguel de Allende Guanajuato (city) Festival Internacional Cervantino

References

External links

Official website Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico León/Bajío Airport information at Great Circle Mapper

Accident history for BJX at Aviation Safety Network Tourism in Guanajuato Festival Cervantino