Los Cabos
International Airport
The Baja gateway, at San José del Cabo. A 9,843 foot runway, Category 8 cover, a general aviation terminal with customs, and the busiest private traffic in Mexico after the capital and Cancún. One airport, not two.
Reviewed by Kevin Singh, Founder · Fact-checked against Icarus Jet fleet and airport operations data · Last updated 2 September 2026
The Airport
Los Cabos at a glance
Los Cabos International carries the ICAO code MMSD and the identifier SJD. A single 9,843 foot runway at 374 feet elevation, about 13 kilometres north of San José del Cabo, with ICAO Category 8 fire cover.
It has a dedicated general aviation terminal with customs and serves the whole corridor to Cabo San Lucas, 45 minutes away.
Be Clear
One airport, at San José del Cabo
The airport is Los Cabos International, MMSD, and it sits at San José del Cabo. Our previous guides treated Los Cabos and San José del Cabo as two airports, which they are not; this page consolidates both.
Cabo San Lucas International, MMSL, is a separate small private field with a 6,998 foot runway, closer to the Cabo San Lucas resorts and suited to light and mid-size aircraft. For most jets and all international arrivals the answer is Los Cabos with a 45 minute transfer down the corridor.
Operating
Runway, permit and time zone
16/34 is 3,000 metres, about 9,843 feet, at 374 feet elevation with Category 8 fire cover. Every private arrival uses the general aviation terminal for customs, and Jet A-1 is available.
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.
Los Cabos is on Mountain Standard Time, UTC-7, all year since Mexico abolished daylight saving in October 2022. It is one hour behind Mexico City. The season runs November to May.
History
Built by FONATUR, rebuilt after Odile
The airport was built in 1977 as part of FONATUR’s planned development of Los Cabos as a resort destination, the same programme that built Cancún.
It grew with the corridor’s resorts and golf into one of Mexico’s busiest airports for private aviation, and was rebuilt after Hurricane Odile damaged it in 2014.
Nearby
Los Cabos and the Mexico and Central America fields
Mexico is a permits market. Choose the airport by destination once the AFAC permit is in hand.
Cabo San Lucas for a light aircraft direct to the resort end. Tijuana for the border and San Diego, at the top of the peninsula. Cancún and Cozumel for the Caribbean. Acapulco for the Pacific mainland. Querétaro for the Bajío. San José, Guanacaste and Limón for Costa Rica.
Airport guides & index
Questions
Los Cabos, answered
Can private jets use Los Cabos?
Yes. Los Cabos International, at San José del Cabo, has a 9,843 foot runway, ICAO Category 8 fire cover and a dedicated general aviation terminal with customs, and it is the busiest private jet airport in Mexico outside the capital and Cancún. It serves the whole Los Cabos corridor from San José del Cabo to Cabo San Lucas.
Is Los Cabos the same as San José del Cabo airport?
Yes. The airport is Los Cabos International Airport, MMSD, and it sits at San José del Cabo. Our previous guides treated them as two airports, which they are not; this page consolidates both. Cabo San Lucas has a separate small private airfield, MMSL, covered on its own page.
How long is the runway at Los Cabos?
16/34 is 3,000 metres, about 9,843 feet, by 148 feet, in asphalt, at 374 feet elevation. Fire cover is Category 8. The 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.
Los Cabos or Cabo San Lucas airport?
Los Cabos for any jet. Cabo San Lucas International, MMSL, is a private field with a 6,998 foot runway suited to light and mid-size aircraft, and it is closer to the Cabo San Lucas resorts. For most jets and all international arrivals the answer is Los Cabos with a 45 minute transfer down the corridor.
Is ground handling mandatory at Los Cabos?
In practice every private arrival uses the general aviation terminal's FBO for customs coordination, so handling is arranged on every flight. Jet A-1 is available.
How far is the airport from the resorts?
About 13 kilometres north of San José del Cabo, around 20 minutes, and about 45 minutes along the corridor to Cabo San Lucas. The East Cape resorts are 45 minutes to an hour the other way.
What time zone is Los Cabos in?
Mountain Standard Time, UTC-7. Baja California Sur is on Mexico's Pacific zone and, since Mexico abolished daylight saving in October 2022, stays on UTC-7 all year. It is one hour behind Mexico City.
When is the season at Los Cabos?
November to May, with peaks at Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year and spring break. Hurricane season is June to November and September is the quiet month.
What is the history of Los Cabos airport?
The airport was built in 1977 as part of FONATUR's planned development of Los Cabos as a resort destination, the same programme that built Cancún. It grew with the corridor's resorts and golf into one of Mexico's busiest airports for private aviation, and was rebuilt after Hurricane Odile damaged it in 2014.
Can you fly direct from the United States to Los Cabos?
Yes, and most do. Los Cabos is about two hours from Los Angeles and three from Texas by jet, with customs on arrival at the general aviation terminal.
Get Your Number
Request a Los Cabos charter
Tell us the resort and the aircraft. We file the AFAC permit inside the ten day window, arrange the general aviation terminal and customs, and price Cabo San Lucas alongside if the aircraft fits it.
Prefer to talk? Call +1 888 277 7203 or email charter@icarusjet.com. The desk is staffed 24/7.