Acapulco
International Airport
Mexico’s original jet-set resort and its Pacific gateway. A 10,827 foot runway, Category 8 cover, customs on site, and a rebuild after Hurricane Otis that we confirm the state of before every flight.
Reviewed by Kevin Singh, Founder · Fact-checked against Icarus Jet fleet and airport operations data · Last updated 2 September 2026
The Airport
Acapulco at a glance
Acapulco carries the ICAO code MMAA and the identifier ACA. A 10,827 foot main runway with a shorter secondary runway, at 15 feet elevation about 20 kilometres south east of the old town near Acapulco Diamante, with ICAO Category 8 fire cover.
It is an international airport with customs on site, and its operations were restored after Hurricane Otis in October 2023.
Otis
Restored, and confirmed each flight
Hurricane Otis made landfall as a Category 5 hurricane on 25 October 2023 and caused severe damage across Acapulco, including to the airport’s terminal. The runway reopened within days for relief flights and commercial and private operations resumed subsequently.
Terminal and FBO facilities have been rebuilt in stages, which is why we confirm the current state of ground facilities for each flight rather than assume it. The security situation in Guerrero is something we brief clients on honestly, and the Diamante zone with a direct transfer from the airport is how most private travellers now visit.
Operating
Runway, permit and time zone
10/28 is 3,300 metres, about 10,827 feet, at 15 feet elevation with Category 8 fire cover, plus a shorter secondary runway. The main runway takes the whole of business aviation.
Mexico requires foreign operators to hold a permit from AFAC. Charter operators use a Blanket Permit with the operator’s AOC validated by AFAC, which we plan at ten business days; since 1 January 2024 private operations file six-month single-entry authorisations. General aviation is restricted to the public-use airports AFAC lists, and every airport on this page is one of them.
Acapulco is on Central Standard Time, UTC-6, all year. The airport is 15 to 20 minutes from the Diamante resorts and 30 to 40 from the traditional bay hotels. Most private traffic is domestic from Mexico City and Toluca, and the season follows the capital’s calendar.
History
The first jet-set resort
The airport was built in the 1950s as Acapulco became Mexico’s first international jet-set resort, and for two decades it was the country’s glamour destination and the airport its gateway.
It was rebuilt in the 1970s, privatised into the OMA group in 1998, and rebuilt again after Hurricane Otis in 2023.
Nearby
Acapulco and the Mexico and Central America fields
Mexico is a permits market. Choose the airport by destination once the AFAC permit is in hand.
Querétaro for the Bajío and a Mexico City alternative. Los Cabos and Cabo San Lucas for Baja. Cancún and Cozumel for the Caribbean. Tijuana for the border. San José, Guanacaste and Limón for Costa Rica.
Airport guides & index
Questions
Acapulco, answered
Can private jets use Acapulco?
Yes. Acapulco International has a 10,827 foot main runway, ICAO Category 8 fire cover and customs on site, and it sits close to the Acapulco Diamante resort zone. Operations were restored after Hurricane Otis in October 2023; we confirm the current state of ground facilities for each flight.
How long is the runway at Acapulco?
10/28 is 3,300 metres, about 10,827 feet, by 148 feet, in asphalt, at 15 feet elevation, with a shorter secondary runway alongside. Fire cover is Category 8. The main runway takes the whole of business aviation.
What permit does Mexico require?
Mexico requires foreign operators to hold a permit from AFAC. Charter operators use a Blanket Permit with the operator's AOC validated by AFAC, which we plan at ten business days; since 1 January 2024 private operations file six-month single-entry authorisations. General aviation is restricted to the public-use airports AFAC lists, and every airport on this page is one of them.
What did Hurricane Otis do to the airport?
Otis made landfall as a Category 5 hurricane on 25 October 2023 and caused severe damage across Acapulco, including to the airport's terminal. The runway reopened within days for relief flights and commercial and private operations resumed subsequently. Terminal and FBO facilities have been rebuilt in stages, which is why we confirm the current state for each flight rather than assume it.
Is ground handling mandatory at Acapulco?
Handling is arranged on every private flight for customs coordination. Jet A-1 is available.
How far is the airport from the resorts?
About 20 kilometres south east of the old town, and close to the Acapulco Diamante zone where most of the newer resorts are, around 15 to 20 minutes. The traditional bay hotels are 30 to 40 minutes.
What time zone is Acapulco in?
Central Standard Time, UTC-6, all year. Guerrero is on Mexico's central zone and, since Mexico abolished daylight saving in October 2022, does not change clocks.
When is the season at Acapulco?
November to April, with peaks at Christmas, New Year and Easter. Acapulco is above all a Mexico City weekend and holiday destination, and its traffic follows the capital's calendar.
Can you fly direct from the United States to Acapulco?
Yes, Acapulco is an international airport with customs and immigration. Most private traffic, though, is domestic from Mexico City and Toluca.
What is the history of Acapulco airport?
The airport was built in the 1950s as Acapulco became Mexico's first international jet-set resort, and for two decades it was the country's glamour destination and the airport its gateway. It was rebuilt in the 1970s, privatised into the OMA group in 1998, and rebuilt again after Hurricane Otis in 2023.
Is Acapulco safe to fly into?
The airport operates normally and the resort zones have recovered substantially since Otis. The security situation in Guerrero is something we brief clients on honestly for each trip, and the Diamante zone with a direct transfer from the airport is how most private travellers now visit.
Get Your Number
Request an Acapulco charter
Tell us the dates and the resort. We confirm the current airport facilities, brief you honestly on the ground situation, file the AFAC permit inside the ten day window and arrange the transfer to Diamante.
Prefer to talk? Call +1 888 277 7203 or email charter@icarusjet.com. The desk is staffed 24/7.
