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Mazatlán International Airport as viewed from the runway
Mazatlán International Airport as viewed from the runway again
General Airport Information
- The airport in Mazatlán is located about a 20-30 minute drive from the Golden Zone (i.e. the tourist area).
- The airport is not very big so you can get in and out fairly quickly.
A closer view of Mazatlán International Airport as viewed from the runway
Airlines
- The Mazatlán airport, Rafael Buelna International Airport, is served by many airlines.
- US Airways flys in from Phoenix.
- Continental Airlines flys in from Houston.
- Alaska Airlines flies in from Los Angeles.
- Frontier Airlines just started flying in from Denver.
- The Mexican airlines fly in from other Mexican cities, e.g. Mexico City, Guadalajara, Tijuana
- Other regular and charter airlines (e.g. Westjet) fly in during the tourist season.
An even closer view of Mazatlán International Airport as viewed from the runway again
Arriving at the Airport in Mazatlán
- Currently, they roll stairs up to the airplane after you land for you to disembark.
- Immediately after disembarking, you need to go through immigration. You need to show you identification, preferably a passport, and present your immigration form. Most airlines will hand out the immigration forms to you on the airplane. BE SURE TO SIGN THE BACK OF THE FORM IN THE INDICATED LOCATIONS. You will need to fill out your name and information in the top and bottom sections of the form. The middle section is for business travellers. The immigration officer will typically not ask you any questions. He will fill in the number of days that you are allowed to stay in the country, typically 180. If you are staying for an extended period of time, be sure that he has filled in enough days on your form. Finally, the officer will tear off the bottom of the form and give it to you. You must save this form and hand it in to the airline when you check in to go home. If you lose it, you may be delayed while they look for the main part of the form. So, don't lose it. You do not need to carry this form with you if you stay in the city of Mazatlán. However, if you are travelling outside of Mazatlán, you should take it with you. I was stopped once by Mexican immigration while travelling north of Mazatlán. Luckily, they didn't arrest me!
- Next, you will go to the baggage area to collect your bags.
- After collecting your bags, you will need to put them through an x-ray machine.
- After having your bags x-rayed, you will approach the Customs checkpoint. There is a stop light with a red and green light. You need to hand in your Customs form, the other form you received on the airplane, to the Customs official. They will direct you to push the button on the stop light. If the light shows green, you are free to exit into the main terminal. If the light shows red, they will open your bags and inspect the contents. I have been checked many times. They usually only do a simple search. After the search, you are free to exit into the main terminal.
- If you have ground transportation to your hotel, you will see the drivers holding up signs when you enter the main terminal.
- There are also car rental booths and a cambio (shared van) booth.
- To get a taxi, exit out of the terminal and find the booth that sells the taxi tickets. They will ask you where you are going and tell you how much the taxi is. A taxi ride from the airport to the Golden Zone runs about US$20-30.
- If you are in no rush and don't mind sharing a van, I recommend taking the Cambio (shared van). It is about $US6-8 to take the cambio. You can purchase your ticket at the booth immediately after entering the terminal or at the booth next to the sidewalk where the taxis are. They will direct you to the right where you will wait until they get enough people to fill the van. They will stop along the way until they reach your destination. Normally, this is just about 30-40 minutes, but my last trip it took over 1 hour because there were people going near the port, then downtown, then to the bus station, then finally to the Golden Zone.
The Taxi/Van ticket booth
Taxi/Van prices as of November 2008
The parking lot at the Mazatlán International Airport
An airport van at the Mazatlán International Airport
The row of airport vans at the Mazatlán International Airport
Getting back to the Airport when you leave Mazatlán
- You can get a taxi from almost any hotel in Mazatlán. They typically are Nissan Sentra so if you have many people you may have to take multiple taxis. You can always ask the doormen at your hotel to arrange for a van. Taxis to the airport typically cost US$20-30. My last trip to Mazatlán, the taxi driver flatly refused to take me for less than $20.
- I don't recommend taking Pulmonias (the open air taxis that look like golf carts) because the wind on the highway is annoying and it is typically really hot. Taxis have air conditioners.
- There is no need to arrive any more than 2 hours before any flight. The Mazatlán airport isn't so big that it would be a problem.
- REMEMBER that when you check in you will need to hand in the piece of the immigration form that the immigration officer gave you.
- Currently, they are renovating the departure gates. I couldn't find any water to buy. If you want water, be sure to buy it when you get to the area with the bars and duty free stores. After that you pass through security and enter the gate area.
- WARNING: if you buy anything at duty free that is liquid, i.e. alcohol or perfume, and are taking a connecting flight in the United States. You will need to go through security in the US. They don't allow large volumes of liquid. On my last trip, I bought a bottle of the finest tequila. When I connected in Phoenix, they wouldn't let me take my tequila through security. I managed to find a box and some bubble wrap. However, when I arrived at my final destination, my bottle of tequila was smashed! What a waste! So, be warned.
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