Nuevo Laredo International Airport | |
Nativename: | Spanish; Castilian: {{small|Aeropuerto Internacional de <br>Nuevo Laredo |
Iata: | NLD |
Icao: | MMNL |
Type: | Public |
Operator: | Grupo Olmeca-Maya-Mexica |
City-Served: | Laredo–Nuevo Laredo |
Location: | Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico |
Metric-Elev: | y |
Elevation-M: | 148 |
Pushpin Map: | Mexico Tamaulipas#Mexico |
Pushpin Label: | NLD |
Metric-Rwy: | y |
R1-Number: | 14/32 |
R1-Length-M: | 2,000 |
R1-Surface: | Asphalt |
Stat-Year: | 2023 |
Stat1-Header: | Total passengers |
Stat1-Data: | 197,673 |
Stat2-Header: | Ranking in Mexico |
Stat2-Data: | 46th 4 |
Footnotes: | Source: Agencia Federal de Aviación Civil[1] |
Timezone: | CST |
Summer: | CDT |
Pushpin Map Caption: | Location of airport in Tamaulipas |
Nuevo Laredo International Airport (Spanish; Castilian: Aeropuerto Internacional de Nuevo Laredo); officially Aeropuerto Internacional Quetzalcóatl (in Nahuatl languages pronounced as /ketsalˈkoːaːtɬ/) (Quetzalcóatl International Airport) is an international airport located in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico, near the U.S.-Mexico border. It serves domestic flights within Mexico for the Laredo-Nuevo Laredo binational metropolitan area, the northern Tamaulipas and Nuevo León region and Southern Texas. It also supports various cargo operations, as well as executive and general aviation activities.
Operated by Grupo Olmeca-Maya-Mexica (GAFSACOMM), a holding company owned by the Mexican military, Nuevo Laredo Airport was named after Quetzalcóatl, a deity in Aztec and other Mesoamerican cultures. Historically, the airport was served by Mexicana, which operated flights to Mexico City and Guadalajara before ceasing operations in 2010.[2] The airport handled 107,368 passengers in 2022, almost doubling to 197,673 in 2023.
The airport is situated at an elevation of above mean sea level, covering an area of . It features a single asphalt runway, designated as 05/23, measuring . The commercial aviation apron spans, featuring three parking positions for narrow-body aircraft and additional stands for general aviation. Official operating hours are from 8:00 to 20:00.
The passenger terminal caters to both domestic arrivals and departures in a single-story building. It includes check-in areas, a security checkpoint, a baggage claim area, and an arrivals hall with car rental services, taxi stands, and several retail stores. The departures concourse includes three gates with direct access to the apron, allowing passengers to board their planes by walking to the aircraft. Adjacent facilities include parking areas, civil aviation hangars, administration offices, cargo facilities, and facilities for general aviation.
The airport's proximity to the U.S. border makes it an attractive choice for cross-border travelers heading to Mexican cities. However, due to its close proximity to Laredo and the high transportation taxes for international flights in Mexico, the airport only serves domestic destinations. Passengers traveling to destinations in the United States typically utilize nearby airports such as Laredo International Airport or the larger San Antonio International Airport.
Viva Aerobus flight to Guadalajara makes a stopover in Mexico City.