Villahermosa International Airport

Villahermosa International Airport (Spanish: Aeropuerto Internacional de Villahermosa); officially known as Aeropuerto Internacional Carlos Rovirosa Pérez (Carlos Rovirosa Pérez International Airport) (IATA: VSA, ICAO: MMVA) is an international airport located in Villahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico. It serves the Metropolitan Area of Villahermosa, the entire State of Tabasco, and Northern Chiapas. The airport offers domestic flights within Mexico and supports various tourism, flight training, and general aviation activities. It is named in honor of Carlos Rovirosa Pérez, a pioneer of Mexican aviation, who was born in Villahermosa. The airport is operated by Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste (ASUR). In 2021, the airport handled 1,214,190 passengers, and in 2022, it served 1,396,653 passengers, an increase of 15.03% according to ASUR.[1]

Villahermosa International Airport

Aeropuerto Internacional de Villahermosa
Summary
Airport typePublic
OperatorGrupo Aeroportuario del Sureste
ServesVillahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico
Opened1979
Time zoneCST (UTC-06:00)
Elevation AMSL14 m / 46 ft
Coordinates17°59′42″N 92°49′02″W / 17.99500°N 92.81722°W / 17.99500; -92.81722
Websitewww.asur.com.mx/Contenido/Villahermosa/shopping
Map
VSA is located in Tabasco
VSA
VSA
Location of the airport in Tabasco
VSA is located in Mexico
VSA
VSA
VSA (Mexico)
Map
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
08/26 2,200 7,218 Asphalt
Statistics (2023)
Total passengers1,396,653
Ranking in Mexico22nd Decrease 1
Source: Grupo Aeroporturario del Sureste[1]

History

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By 1935, the city of Villahermosa had three airfields: José Suárez Airfield (located in the current España neighborhood), El Playón Airfield (located in the city center), and Roberto Fierro Airfield (located in the area now known as Tabasco 2000). The Roberto Fierro Airfield received the inaugural cargo transportation flight of Compañía Mexicana de Aviación in 1928. It also welcomed the first passenger flight, which was conducted by a Ford brand trimotor monoplane from Mexicana de Aviación in 1929.[2]

As the city expanded in the late 1970s, a new airport was constructed in the Dos Montes community on the outskirts of the city. The current airport was inaugurated on May 2, 1979. Over the years, it has been served by various Mexican airlines, including Aeromar, Aero California, Aerocaribe, Aviacsa, Interjet, and Mexicana. It has also offered international services to Panama City through Copa Airlines and to Houston through Continental Express, Aeromexico Connect, and United Express, primarily catering to the oil industry market.

The passenger terminal underwent expansion in 2006 and was further expanded in 2013. Currently, Villahermosa Airport serves as the nearest active commercial airport to the popular tourist destination of the ancient Maya ruins in Palenque in Chiapas.

Facilities

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The airport is situated at an elevation of 14 metres (46 ft) above sea level and it features a single runway, designated as 08/26, which measures 2,200 metres (7,200 ft) in length and has an asphalt surface. The commercial aviation apron has nine stands, with six being of type C and two of type D, primarily for narrow-body aircraft. The general aviation apron offers stands for fixed-wing aircraft and heliports for private aviation. The airport can handle up to 20 operations per hour.[3]

The passenger terminal is a two-story building with a total area of 12,769 square metres (137,440 sq ft). The lower level houses the check-in area, an arrivals hall with two baggage claim carousels, immigration and customs facilities, car rental services, taxi stands, snack bars, a souvenir shop, and a restaurant. The upper floor hosts the security zone and the departure concourse with a commercial area, restaurants, bars, a VIP lounge,[4] and five gates, four of which have jetbridges. The general airport offices are also located on this level. Adjacent to the terminal, other facilities include civil aviation hangars and designated spaces for general aviation.

 
Terminal diagram

Airlines and destinations

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Passenger

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AirlinesDestinations
AeroméxicoMexico City
Aeroméxico Connect Mexico City
Aerus Mérida, Minatitlán/Coatzacoalcos,[5] Veracruz
Mexicana de Aviación Mexico City–AIFA
VivaCancún, Guadalajara, Mérida, Mexico City, Mexico City–AIFA, Monterrey
Volaris Mexico City

Cargo

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AirlinesDestinations
Aeronaves TSMMérida, Mexico City
EstafetaMérida, Mexico City, San Luis Potosí
 
Control tower
 
Departures concourse
 
Check-in area
 
Arrivals hall
 
Arrivals hall
 
Departures concourse
 
Departures concourse
 
Terminal entrance
 
Passenger terminal airside

Destinations map

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Destinations from Villahermosa International Airport
Red = Year-round destination
Blue = Future destination
Green = Seasonal destination

Statistics

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Passengers

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Villahermosa Airport passengers. See Wikidata query.

Busiest routes

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Busiest routes at Villahermosa International Airport (2023)[6]
Rank City Passengers Ranking Airline
1   Mexico City, Mexico City 455,928   Aeroméxico, Aeroméxico Connect, Viva Aerobus, Volaris
2   Nuevo León, Monterrey 81,959   Viva Aerobus
3   Jalisco, Guadalajara 56,278   Viva Aerobus
4   Quintana Roo, Cancún 50,121   Viva Aerobus
5   Yucatán, Mérida 21,570   Viva Aerobus
6   Baja California, Tijuana 6,628   Volaris
7   Veracruz, Veracruz 1,207   Aerus
8   State of Mexico, Mexico City-AIFA 65   2 Mexicana de Aviación
9   United States, Houston-Intercontinental 54   1
10   Chiapas, Tuxtla Gutiérrez 34   Aerus

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Passenger's Traffic" (in Spanish). ASUR. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
  2. ^ "Historia de la aviación en Tabasco: De aeropuerto a zona residencial y comercial en Villahermosa" (in Spanish).
  3. ^ "NUESTROS AEROPUERTOS" (in Spanish).
  4. ^ ".:Caral:. vip lounge". www.caralvip.com. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  5. ^ "With these flights, Aerus will begin operations from Minatitlán Airport". Diario del Istmo (in Spanish). October 2024. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
  6. ^ "Estadística operacional por origen-destino / Traffic Statistics by City Pairs" (in Spanish). Agencia Federal de Aviación Civil. January 2024. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
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