Hermosillo International Airport (Spanish: Aeropuerto Internacional de Hermosillo); officially Aeropuerto Internacional General Ignacio L. Pesqueira (General Ignacio L. Pesqueira International Airport) (IATA: HMO, ICAO: MMHO), is an international airport situated in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. It handles both national and international air traffic for the Hermosillo metropolitan area. It also houses military facilities for the Mexican Army and supports logistics and cargo airlines. Additionally, it facilitates various activities related to tourism, flight training, and general aviation. It functions as a focus city for the regional airline TAR Aerolíneas.

Hermosillo International Airport

Aeropuerto Internacional de Hermosillo
Summary
Airport typeMilitary/Public
Owner/OperatorGrupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico
ServesHermosillo, Sonora, Mexico
Hub forAéreo Servicio Guerrero
Focus city forTAR
Time zoneMST (UTC-07:00)
Elevation AMSL191 m / 627 ft
Coordinates29°05′45″N 111°02′52″W / 29.09583°N 111.04778°W / 29.09583; -111.04778
Websitewww.aeropuertosgap.com.mx/en/hermosillo-3.html
Map
HMO is located in Sonora
HMO
HMO
Location of the airport in Sonora
HMO is located in Mexico
HMO
HMO
HMO (Mexico)
Map
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
05/23 2,300 7,546 Asphalt
11/29 (Closed) 1,100 3,609 Asphalt
Statistics (2023)
Total passengers2,189,800
Ranking in Mexico13th Decrease 1
Source: Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico[1]

The airport's operations are managed by Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico, and it is named after Ignacio L. Pesqueira, a former Governor of Sonora. In 2023, it ranked as the busiest airport in Sonora and the thirteenth-largest in Mexico, serving 2,189,800 passengers and surpassing the 2-million threshold for the first time.[1]

History

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Passenger terminal airside

The current airport was inaugurated in 1982 to replace the former airfield previously located in an area known as La Manga. Hermosillo has a historical significance as a commercial aviation hub, particularly for Aeromexico. Starting in the 1940s, it served as a connecting point for cities in northwestern Mexico and Arizona, including Tijuana, La Paz, Chihuahua, Torreón, Nogales, Ciudad Obregón, Guaymas, Cananea, Tucson, and Phoenix.[2]

During the 1990s and 2000s, Aerolitoral, now known as Aeroméxico Connect, operated a hub out of Hermosillo for many years. This hub connected cities across Mexico and also offered flights to U.S. cities such as Los Angeles and Phoenix. However, it was eventually downsized to a focus city and ultimately closed in 2017.[3][4]

From 1988 to 1999, the airport served as the headquarters and hub for the regional airline Aviación del Noroeste. In the early 2000s, the airport's runway and taxiways were widened to accommodate wide-body aircraft that might need to divert, such as Aeromexico's Boeing 787 on several occasions.[5]

Facilities

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Passenger terminal entrance

The airport is situated at an elevation of 191 metres (627 ft) above mean sea level. It features a single runway, designated as 05/23, measuring 2,300 metres (7,500 ft) in length and surfaced with asphalt. The commercial apron can accommodate 12 narrow-body aircraft, and there is a general aviation apron for fixed-wing aircraft as well as two heliports for private and occasional third-level commercial aviation use. The airport frequently serves as the primary alternate airport for flights going to Tijuana International Airport in cases of unfavorable weather or technical issues.

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 1-6 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 7 and 8 equipped with jet bridges for boarding. The airport provides taxi services, and ground transportation is offered by four companies with a fleet of 120 vehicles, including cars and Eurovan-type vans.[6]

 
Passenger terminal entrance

Hermosillo Airport also hosts cargo facilities and includes a dedicated general aviation terminal situated to the north of the passenger terminal. It supports various activities, such as tourism, flight training, executive aviation, and general aviation. The airport has obtained several certifications, including the Clean Industry certification from PROFEP, ISO-9000, and accessibility for users with special needs. Within its facilities, there is a water treatment plant that processes sewage water for reuse in garden irrigation and various construction processes, including dust control and earthwork.

Air Force Base No. 18 (Spanish: Base Aérea Militar No. 18 Hermosillo, Sonora) (BAM-18) is a facility of the Mexican Air Force located at the Hermosillo Airport. It is the operational base for the 107th Air Squadron, which operates Cessna 182 and Pilatus PC-6 aircraft. Additionally, the 3rd Air Surveillance Squadron operates C-26 Metroliner and Embraer 145 AEW&C aircraft at these facilities, and the 204th Air Squadron operates Beechcraft T-6 Texan II aircraft. The base encompasses a 17,500 square metres (188,000 sq ft) aviation platform, three hangars, and various accommodations for Air Force personnel.[7][8]

Airlines and destinations

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Passenger

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AirlinesDestinations
AeroméxicoMexico City
Aeroméxico ConnectMexico City
Aéreo Servicio GuerreroGuerrero Negro
American Eagle Phoenix–Sky Harbor
Señor Air Cabo San Lucas[9]
TARChihuahua, Ciudad Juárez, Culiacán, Durango, La Paz, Mazatlán, Querétaro
Viva Cancún,1 Guadalajara, Mexico City, Mexico City–AIFA, Monterrey, San José del Cabo, Tijuana (begins May 22, 2025)[10]
Volaris Cancún, Ciudad Juárez, Guadalajara, León/El Bajío, Mexicali, Mexico City, Monterrey,[11] Tijuana

Notes

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^1 Viva Aerobus flight to Cancún makes a stopover in Monterrey.[12]

 
Airport apron at HMO

Cargo

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AirlinesDestinations
AmeriflightPhoenix–Sky Harbor
EstafetaMexico City, San Luis Potosi, Tijuana
TUM AeroCarga Guadalajara, Tijuana, Toluca
 
Departures concourse
 
Passenger terminal entrance hall
 
Departures concourse
 
Departures concourse
 
HMO destinations in 2016

Destinations map

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Domestic destinations from Hermosillo International Airport
Red = Year-round destination
Blue = Future destination
Green = Seasonal destination
International destinations from Hermosillo International Airport
Red = Year-round destination
Blue = Future destination
Green = Seasonal destination

Statistics

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Passengers

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Hermosillo Airport Passengers. See Wikidata query.

Busiest routes

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Busiest routes at Hermosillo International Airport (2023)[13]
Rank City Passengers Ranking Airline
1   Mexico City, Mexico City 419,060   Aeroméxico, Viva Aerobus, Volaris
2   Jalisco, Guadalajara 211,946   Viva Aerobus, Volaris
3   Baja California, Tijuana 129,599   1 Volaris
4   Nuevo León, Monterrey 120,604   1 TAR, Viva Aerobus
5   United States, Phoenix 21,305   American Eagle
6   Baja California Sur, San José del Cabo 14,584   Viva Aerobus
7   State of Mexico, Mexico City-AIFA 13,587   Viva Aerobus
8   Baja California Sur, La Paz 10,518   1 Calafia Airlines, TAR
9   Baja California, Mexicali 9,934   Volaris
10   Chihuahua, Chihuahua 8,046   1 TAR

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "GAP Traffic Report 2023" (PDF). Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico. January 2024. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  2. ^ "CABALLERO AGUILA. Historia de Aeroméxico" (PDF) (in Spanish). Recursos de Aviación. 1984.
  3. ^ "Delta, Aeromexico File Antitrust Immunity Application" (Press release). 31 March 2015.
  4. ^ "Volaris le quita el trono a Aeroméxico" (in Mexican Spanish). El Sol de Hermosillo. 1 December 2019.
  5. ^ "Flights to Tijuana diverted to Hermosillo due to fog" (in Mexican Spanish). El Imparcial. June 2016.
  6. ^ "About the airport". Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico.
  7. ^ "Airbases" (in Mexican Spanish). Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional. 20 November 2023.
  8. ^ "BAM Número Nueve (Baja California Sur)".
  9. ^ "Destinos: Hermosillo". senorair.com. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  10. ^ "Viva Aerobus launches 4 new routes from Tijuana". EnElAire (in Spanish). August 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  11. ^ "Sonora has more air connectivity". El imparcial (in Spanish). October 2024. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
  12. ^ "Fly through. A new option to reach more destinations quickly and easily". Viva Aerobús.
  13. ^ "Estadística operacional por origen-destino / Traffic Statistics by City Pairs" (in Spanish). Agencia Federal de Aviación Civil. January 2024. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
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