Ciudad del Carmen International Airport (Spanish: Aeropuerto Internacional de Ciudad del Carmen) (IATA: CME, ICAO: MMCE) 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.[2]
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.[3] 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.[1]
Facilities
The airport is situated at an elevation of 3 metres (9.8ft) above sea level, covering an area of 192 hectares (470 acres). It features a single asphaltrunway, designated as 05/23, measuring 2,200 metres (7,200ft) in length. The commercial aviation apron spans 10,484 square metres (112,850sqft), 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.
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