Grupo Aeroportuario del Centro Norte (OMA), a company that operates and manages thirteen airports in Mexico, announced the start of the expansion and remodeling works at Culiacán International Airport (CUL), which serves the capital of Sinaloa, in the northwest of the country.
According to the managing company, the works will double the terminal’s capacity to reach 4.2 million passengers per year. They will require a total investment of 635 million Mexican pesos. As reported, the airport will continue to operate normally throughout the process.
The expansion is planned to be carried out in two phases. The first phase is set to be the most important expansion period. The project foresees going from the 12,128 m² currently available in operational areas to 25,265 m². The new space will house a check-in area with 28 traditional counters and another 21 self-service counters.
On the other hand, 782 additional seats and a central passenger service area will be installed in the waiting areas. Once the first stage is completed, the airport will have four new boarding gates. The capacity of the security checkpoint area will also be increased. Finally, the domestic baggage claim hall will be relocated and will have three additional carousel belts.
In the second stage of the project, the operational area will be increased to fourteen aircraft parking positions. In addition, a new boarding lounge with four boarding gates will be built. Two additional carousel belts will be added in the baggage claim area.
«We are seeing significant economic expansion in Culiacán and that is why we are committed to doubling the capacity of the current airport, while at the same time seeking to modernize it with the highest standards of quality and efficiency», said Ricardo Dueñas, CEO of OMA.
Current airlines and destinations in Culiacán
Culiacán Federal International Airport is served by five Mexican carriers: Volaris, Aeroméxico, Viva Aerobus, TAR Aerolíneas and Calafia Airlines. The only foreign operator is American Airlines, which offers the airport’s only international connection, to Phoenix-Sky Harbor (PHX).
In Mexico, the airport has direct scheduled services to and from Mexico City (MEX), Cancún (CUN), Guadalajara (GDL), Monterrey (MTY), San José del Cabo (SJD), La Paz (LAP), Chihuahua (CUU), Hermosillo (HMO), Tijuana (TIJ) and Mexicali (MXL).