Manzanillo International Airport (); officially Aeropuerto Internacional Playa de Oro (Playa de Oro International Airport) () is an international airport located in Manzanillo, Colima, Mexico. It manages domestic and international air traffic for the state of Colima and southern Jalisco, serving as an international gateway to the Mexican tourist destination of Manzanillo. Owned by Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico, the airport is named after the neighboring Playa de Oro ("Gold Beach"), itself named for the gold lost in the 1862 wreck of the SS Golden Gate. In 2024, it handled 208,400 passengers, increasing to 231,200 in 2025.
History Planning for a new international airport began in the late 1960s, driven by the development of the Las Hadas resort by Bolivian investor Antenor Patiño and the need for improved air access to the growing port of Manzanillo. The existing airfield at Salagua could only accommodate DC-3 aircraft and was surrounded by hills that posed safety concerns.
The airport was inaugurated on 16 October 1973 by President Luis Echeverría Álvarez, with Governor Pablo Silva García in attendance. Construction cost 70 million pesos, partly financed by Patiño. Commercial service by Aeroméxico began the previous day, initially using Hawker Siddeley HS 748 turboprops on flights 124 and 125 to Mexico City, with plans to upgrade to Douglas DC-9 jet service.
Facilities
The airport is west of the city of Manzanillo, adjacent to the Pacific coast and near the limits with the state of Jalisco. It is situated at an elevation of above mean sea level. The airport has one runway designated as 10/28 with an asphalt surface measuring and the capacity to accommodate narrow-body aircraft. The apron has four stands for narrow-body aircraft.
The passenger terminal, covering an area of , houses both arrival and departure facilities for domestic and international flights. The terminal can handle 470 passengers per hour and offers typical services found at a regional airport, including check-in counters for domestic and international flights, car rental services (Alamo, Budget, Sixt, and Thrifty), taxi stands, and a departure concourse with four gates providing direct access to the apron, enabling passengers to board their planes by walking to the aircraft.
Additionally, the airport accommodates logistics and courier companies and features a dedicated general aviation terminal that supports various activities such as tourism, flight training, executive aviation, and general aviation.
Airlines and destinations
Passenger
Destinations map
Statistics
Annual Traffic + Passenger statistics at ZLO Year Total Passengers change % 2006 222,094 2007 237,758 7.05% 2008 207,623 12.67% 2009 168,449 18.86% 2010 150,666 10.55% 2011 141,431 6.13% 2012 130,259 7.90% 2013 168,613 29.44% 2014 196,084 16.29% 2015 169,485 13.56% 2016 174,394 2.90% 2017 176,263 1.07% 2018 166,053 5.79% 2019 169,064 1.81% 2020 79,798 52.80% 2021 126,175 58.12% 2022 158,133 25.33% 2023 172,212 8.90% 2024 218,400 21.0% 2025 231,200 5.9%
Busiest routes + Busiest routes at ZLO (Jan–Dec 2025) Rank Airport Passengers 1 Mexico City, Mexico City 70,454 2 Los Angeles, United States 22,788 3 Calgary, Canada 8,922 4 Dallas/Fort Worth, United States 2,223 5 Houston–Intercontinental, United States 1,999 6 Phoenix–Sky Harbor, United States 1,686 7 Atlanta, United States 924
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 List of beaches in Mexico
References
External links
Official Website Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico
Manzanillo Airport information at Great Circle Mapper Accident history for ZLO at Aviation Safety Network Tourism in Manzanillo