Improvements at the Huatulco Airport

Regardless of where your journey begins, when you exit a plane at the Huatulco International Airport, you’ll feel as if you’ve arrived at someplace exceptional. Several steep “palapa”(palm thatch) roofs, which resemble ancient pyramids, dominate the landscape. Recently those pyramids have multiplied like mushrooms popping up in the grass. These improvements will not only make your experience of flying here more comfortable and convenient; it will also attract more flights to Huatulco. Getting here is going to become easier.

The new documentation building has air-conditioning and several additional check-in wickets. The air-conditioned pre-boarding lounge has expanded significantly with more kiosks and shops. The new International Arrivals salon is 675 square meters (7250sq ft) with 10 immigration counters. This should help to stream line visitors arriving on large charter flights.

The most important improvements are outdoors. The airport currently handles half a million passengers but the renovations have doubled that capacity to one million. With parking for seven commercial aircrafts, they are able to handle up to twenty take offs and landings per hour. The new 3000 meter (7950 ft) runway facilitates larger planes, and jets coming from Europe can now operate at 100% capacity. If you are lucky enough to own your own aircraft, come on down! There are parking platforms for 19 private and executive jets.

These improvements are already helping ASUR to attract new markets, open new routes and improve connectivity to Huatulco. The most recent addition is TAR airlines. It will begin flying between Oaxaca and Huatulco four times weekly with 50 passenger jets. This will make it much easier and cost effective for travelers who want to combine a beach and city experience.

The highway between Huatulco and the airport has finally been completed, cutting the travel time to about 15 minutes, with a much needed passing lane in several parts of the highway.

Flying from Oaxaca to Huatulco

TAR Aerolíneas
https://www.tarmexico.com

This Mexican airline will begin flights between Oaxaca and Huatulco on Nov 9, 2015. They fly 50 passenger Embraer 145 jets. A one way fare will start at about $60 USD including tax. This is a terrific opportunity! You can book from their website, but it is only in Spanish. To call from inside Mexico: 01-55-2629-5272; to call from the US or Canada: 011-52-55-2629-5272

AeroTucan

www.aerotucan.com

This small airline has a flight each morning between Huatulco and Oaxaca. Their propeller planes take about 35 minutes to make the trip.   To call toll-free from inside Mexico: 01 800 640 4148; to call from the US or Canada: 011-52-951-502-8040

Direct flights from Canada Winter and Early Spring Only

West Jet
www.westjet.com

Four flights weekly from Calgary and Toronto beginning Dec. 12, 2015 (Direct Calgary flights on Tuesday/Saturday and direct Toronto flights on Thursday/Sunday)

Sunwing (Signature Vacations)
www.flysunwing.com/

Tuesdays from several Canadian cities beginning Nov. 17, 2015

Air Transat
www.airtransat.ca/en/Home.aspx

Flights from Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver and Toronto beginning late December 2015

Air Canada
www.vacations.aircanada.com/

Tuesday and Saturday from Toronto to Huatulco beginning Nov. 7, 2015. Air Canada also has flights from Toronto and Vancouver to Mexico City on selected days, they code-share with AeroMexico to Huatulco, but they may require an overnight in Mexico City.

From the USA

SunCountry
https://booksy.suncountry.com

Flies directly from Minneapolis to Huatulco on Saturdays beginning Jan 9, 2016-April 16, 2016

Apple Vacations
www.applevacations.com

Has non stop flights from Chicago beginning late November through to early spring.

United Airlines
www.united.com

Flies non stop from Houston to Huatulco on Saturdays. More days may be added this winter.

American Airlines
www.aa.com

Is now code sharing with Interjet. Through American airlines, you can book a flight to Huatulco with a stopover in Mexico City and transfer to an Interjet flight. You will receive a boarding pass for the transfer but will not collect your baggage or pass through Customs until you arrive in Huatulco. You will need to pass through Immigration in Mexico City, but will not leave the departure concourse.

Interjet
www.interjet.com.mx

Interjet is a Mexican airline with flights from New York, Miami, Houston, Las Vegas and San Antonio to Mexico City, where you can transfer onto a fifty-minute Interjet Flight to Huatulco. This company enjoys an excellent reputation in Mexico, offering four flights daily between Mexico City and Huatulco. The best day to make connections to Huatulco is Sunday because the last flight leaves Mexico City at 7:25 PM. On all other days, the last flight leaves at 4:40 PM. On your return trip, the first flight out of Huatulco is 10:25 AM except Sunday, which is at noon. Interjet is not found on any of the online booking sites like Expedia, you need to go directly to their webpage.

Aeromexico
www.aeromexico.com

Has flights to Huatulco with a stopover in Mexico City from several American cities and it code shares with other airlines. This allows you to book your flight to Huatulco from almost any city in the US or from Toronto, Montreal, or Vancouver in Canada. There will be a stopover in Mexico City but you will receive a boarding pass for the transfer and will not collect your baggage or pass through Customs until you arrive in Huatulco. You will need to pass through Immigration in Mexico City, but will not leave the departure concourse.

Volaris
www.volaris.com/

This is a discount airline that flies from Mexico City to Huatulco Thursdays and Sundays. During peak periods they add a flight on Friday or Monday. Volaris operates flights to Mexico City from 20 cities in the U.S. If you are flexible they often have some excellent prices.

Article Credit: Brooke Gazer – The Eye, Huatulco.