Querétaro
Intercontinental Airport
The Bajío’s industrial gateway and an uncongested Mexico City alternative. An 11,483 foot runway at 6,270 feet elevation, which is why it is that long. Our old page had the two numbers confused. Our Queretaro private jet guide covers the runway, handling, permissions, parking and customs for crews and charter clients.
Reviewed by Kevin Singh, Founder · Fact-checked against Icarus Jet fleet and airport operations data · Last updated 10 September 2026
The Airport
Querétaro at a glance
Querétaro Intercontinental carries the ICAO code MMQT and the identifier QRO. A single 11,483 foot runway at 6,270 feet elevation, about 22 kilometres north east of the city, with ICAO Category 8 fire cover.
It is the gateway to the Bajío industrial corridor and the colonial cities, operates 24 hours, and has an established business aviation and aerospace presence.
Corrected 10 September 2026: an earlier version of this page gave the runway as 6,296 ft, a figure close to the 6,270 ft elevation; runway 09/27 is 11,483 ft.
Chartering through Querétaro Intercontinental? The private jet charter to Mexico and Costa Rica page explains how the desk quotes the sector, and the large cabin jets guide covers the aircraft that suit a 11,483 ft runway.
Facts checked against the Querétaro Intercontinental Airport official site and the SICT Mexico publications, plus Icarus Jet operations data.

Correction
11,483 feet of runway, 6,270 feet of elevation
Our previous guide published the runway as 6,296 feet. That figure is close to the airport’s elevation, about 6,270 feet; the runway, 09/27, is 3,500 metres, about 11,483 feet. Corrected here and in our data.
The runway is long for exactly the reason the elevation matters. At 6,270 feet with warm afternoons for much of the year, density altitude is a real factor in a heavy departure. The runway absorbs it for the whole of business aviation, but the calculation is done rather than assumed.
Why here
The Bajío, and a capital alternative
Querétaro serves the industrial belt of Querétaro, San Juan del Río, Celaya and Guanajuato, with its aerospace, automotive and manufacturing plants, and the colonial cities of San Miguel de Allende and Guanajuato. The historic centre is about 30 minutes from the airport and San Miguel about an hour and a quarter.
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.
For Mexico City itself, Toluca and Mexico City International remain closer; Querétaro is about two and a half hours by road and is used as a relief airport when slots or costs at the capital make it worthwhile. The airport is on Central Standard Time, UTC-6, all year, and operates 24 hours.
History
Built for the elevation and the cluster
Querétaro Intercontinental opened in November 2004, replacing the old Ingeniero Fernando Espinosa Gutiérrez airport close to the city, which could not be expanded.
It was planned with a long runway for the elevation and a cargo and aerospace role from the start, and Bombardier’s arrival in 2006 anchored the aerospace cluster that now surrounds it.
Nearby
Querétaro and the Mexico and Central America fields
Mexico is a permits market. Choose the airport by destination once the AFAC permit is in hand.
Acapulco for the Pacific resorts. 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
Querétaro, answered
Can private jets use Querétaro?
Yes. Querétaro Intercontinental has an 11,483 foot runway, ICAO Category 8 fire cover, customs on site and a growing business aviation presence, and it is the gateway to the Bajío industrial corridor of aerospace, automotive and manufacturing plants. It is also an uncongested alternative to Mexico City and Toluca.
What fire category and runway does Querétaro have?
ICAO Category 8 fire cover, with a single asphalt runway 09/27 of 11,483 by 148 feet at 6,270 feet elevation. Jet A-1 is available, an FBO handles ground services and customs is on site. Nothing in business aviation is constrained by the field itself; the performance calculation at that elevation is the point to watch.
Does the elevation affect performance?
Yes. At 6,270 feet, and with afternoon temperatures in the high twenties and thirties for much of the year, density altitude is a real factor in a heavy departure. The 11,483 foot runway exists to absorb it, and it does for the whole of business aviation, but the calculation is done rather than assumed.
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.
Querétaro or Mexico City?
Querétaro for the Bajío: the plants in Querétaro, San Juan del Río, Celaya and Guanajuato’s industrial belt, and the colonial cities of San Miguel de Allende and Guanajuato. For Mexico City itself, Toluca and Mexico City International remain closer; Querétaro is about two and a half hours by road, and is used as a relief airport when slots or costs at the capital make it worthwhile.
Is ground handling mandatory at Querétaro?
Handling is arranged on every private flight for customs coordination. Jet A-1 is available. Querétaro has an established business aviation and maintenance presence, with Bombardier’s manufacturing site adjacent.
What time zone is Querétaro in?
Central Standard Time, UTC-6, all year. Querétaro is on Mexico’s central zone and, since Mexico abolished daylight saving in October 2022, does not change clocks.
How far is the airport from the city?
About 22 kilometres north east of Querétaro, around 30 minutes to the historic centre. San Miguel de Allende is about an hour and a quarter.
Does Querétaro have a curfew?
No. The airport operates 24 hours and has significant cargo traffic overnight, so a late arrival or an early departure is routine. There is no standing slot or PPR either; the approval that governs the trip is the AFAC permit, which we plan at ten business days for charter. The desk checks the NOTAMs and books the FBO.
What is the history of Querétaro airport?
Querétaro Intercontinental opened in November 2004, replacing the old Ingeniero Fernando Espinosa Gutiérrez airport close to the city, which could not be expanded. It was planned with a long runway for the elevation and a cargo and aerospace role from the start, and Bombardier’s arrival in 2006 anchored the aerospace cluster that now surrounds it.
Is Querétaro a busy airport?
Growing quickly. It is one of Mexico’s fastest growing airports for both passengers and cargo, driven by the Bajío’s industrial expansion, but it remains uncongested for business aviation.
Can private jets land at Querétaro Intercontinental Airport?
Yes. Querétaro Intercontinental Airport has a 11,483 foot runway, no standing slot or PPR, handling not mandatory. Our desk files the permission and handling before the aircraft departs.
Do private flights need a slot or PPR at Querétaro Intercontinental Airport?
There is no standing slot or PPR requirement at Querétaro Intercontinental Airport. Seasonal or event traffic programmes can apply on busy dates, so the desk checks the NOTAMs and books handling before the aircraft is positioned.
Flying into Querétaro Intercontinental Airport on your own aircraft? Our trip support desk files the permission, handling and fuel before you ask. Chartering instead? See the Dallas charter routes we fly.
Get Your Number
Request a Querétaro charter
Tell us the plant or the city and the passenger load. We run the high-elevation performance calculation for the aircraft, file the AFAC permit inside the ten day window and arrange the FBO and customs.
Prefer to talk? Call +1 888 277 7203 or email charter@icarusjet.com. The desk is staffed 24/7, or send the trip online.
