
El Salvador International Airport, with the airport code SAL, is located in the city of San Luis Talpa, in the Department of La Paz, El Salvador. The airport serves San Salvador, the capital of El Salvador, and is about 50 kilometres (31 miles) from the city. It is a joint-use civilian and military airport, previously known as Comalapa International Airport.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | El Salvador International Airport |
| Previous Names | Comalapa International Airport, Cuscatlán International Airport, Comalapa Air Base (to the military) |
| City | San Luis Talpa |
| Department | La Paz |
| Country | El Salvador |
| IATA Code | SAL |
| ICAO Code | MSLP |
| Distance from San Salvador | 42 km (26 mi) or 50 km (31 mi) |
| Travel time to San Salvador | 30 minutes |
| Area | 2,519.8 acres (1,019.7 ha) or 2519.8 acres |
| Borders | Pacific Ocean, Jiboa River, coastal highway |
| Elevation | Close to sea level |
| Terminals | Passenger terminal, cargo terminal |
| Number of Gates | 17 |
| Airlines | TACA Airlines (now Avianca El Salvador), Volaris El Salvador |
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What You'll Learn

El Salvador International Airport serves San Salvador
El Salvador International Airport, also known as San Salvador Airport, is located in the city of San Luis Talpa, in the Department of La Paz, El Salvador. The airport serves San Salvador, the capital and largest city of El Salvador, and is located about 42 kilometres (26 miles) or a 30-minute drive from the city centre.
The airport's IATA code is SAL, and its ICAO code is MSLP. It was previously known as Comalapa International Airport and Comalapa Air Base to the military. It is a joint-use civilian and military airport, occupying an area of 2,519.8 acres (1,019.7 hectares) and is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the south and the Jiboa River to the east.
El Salvador International Airport is a significant hub for airlines such as Avianca El Salvador and Volaris El Salvador. It handles international flights to Central America, North America, South America, and Europe. The airport has undergone several expansions to accommodate the increasing passenger traffic, growing from 7 initial boarding gates to 17 gates currently.
The airport is known for its safety, having complied with all safety regulations issued by the Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). It has a four-lane motorway connection to San Salvador and offers various transportation options, including airport taxis, Ubers, shuttles, and public buses, making it easily accessible for travellers visiting San Salvador and El Salvador.
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$19.9

IATA code: SAL, ICAO code: MSLP
El Salvador International Airport, also known as Comalapa International Airport, is located in the south-central area of El Salvador. Its IATA code is SAL, and its ICAO code is MSLP. The airport is situated in the city of San Luis Talpa, in the Department of La Paz, about 50 kilometres (31 miles) from the capital, San Salvador. It is a joint-use civilian and military airport, occupying a triangle-shaped plot of 2,519.8 acres (1,019.7 hectares) bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the south, the Jiboa River to the east, and the coastal highway to the northwest. Its close proximity to sea level allows aircraft to operate efficiently at maximum capacity.
El Salvador International Airport serves as a hub for airlines such as Avianca El Salvador and Volaris El Salvador. It handles international flights to Central America, North America, South America, and Europe. The airport has undergone expansions to accommodate increasing passenger numbers, growing from 7 boarding gates initially to 17 gates currently.
The airport was built in the late 1970s at the request of then-President Colonel Arturo Armando Molina, with funding provided by the Government of Japan. It commenced operations on 31 January 1980 as Cuscatlán International Airport, and has since undergone several name changes. The airport was previously known as Comalapa International Airport and Comalapa Air Base by the military.
El Salvador International Airport has been recognised for its safety, with compliance to Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) regulations on fire control, healthcare, runway maintenance, lighting, and safety signs. It has a positive reputation among travellers, with some praising the efficiency, hospitality, and safety they experienced at the airport.
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Previously Comalapa International Airport
El Salvador International Airport, with the airport code SAL, was previously known as Comalapa International Airport. It is located in the south-central area of El Salvador, in the city of San Luis Talpa, La Paz. The airport is about 40 kilometres from the country's capital, San Salvador, and is easily accessible via a four-lane motorway, with an average travel time of 30 minutes.
Comalapa International Airport, also known as Comalapa Air Base to the military, was built in the late 1970s under the direction of Hazama Ando (then Hazama Gumi) with funding from the Government of Japan. Electrical work was completed by Toshiba (then Tokyo Shibaura Electric). The airport became operational on 31 January 1980 as Cuscatlán International Airport, with its first flight operated by TACA Airlines to Guatemala City.
In 1995, the airport underwent its first expansion, with B&B Arquitectos Asociados designing the extension of waiting rooms and boarding bridges. However, only the area located in the west was constructed. As passenger traffic increased over the years, the airport underwent two more significant expansions in recent years, increasing the number of boarding gates from 7 to 17.
On 16 January 2014, President Mauricio Funes announced that the airport would be renamed after Monsignor Óscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdámez, and the Legislature of El Salvador approved the change on 19 March 2014. The airport was officially renamed on 29 October 2018, after Romero was canonized as a saint by the Catholic Church. Today, the airport is known as Saint Óscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdámez International Airport and continues to serve as a vital hub for aviation in Central America.
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Located in San Luis Talpa, La Paz
El Salvador International Airport, with the airport code SAL, is located in the city of San Luis Talpa, in the La Paz department of El Salvador. San Luis Talpa is a municipality in La Paz, situated about 42 kilometres (26 miles) from the capital, San Salvador. The airport is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the south and the Jiboa River to the east, with a coastal highway to the northwest.
Previously known as Comalapa International Airport, El Salvador International Airport serves as the main hub for Avianca El Salvador and Volaris El Salvador. It handles international flights to Central America, North America, South America, and Europe. The airport was built in the late 1970s and began operations on 31st January 1980 as Cuscatlán International Airport. It has since undergone expansions to accommodate increasing passenger traffic.
San Luis Talpa, La Paz, is home to the Alcaldía Municipal de San Luis Talpa, which serves as the local government for the municipality. The area has a Facebook page with over 35,000 likes, indicating a vibrant online community.
El Salvador International Airport is known for its safety, with no reported fatalities or accidents. It is easily accessible from San Salvador via a four-lane motorway, making it a convenient gateway to the country for travellers and tourists visiting El Salvador or San Salvador.
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Civilian and military airport
El Salvador International Airport Saint Óscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdámez, also known as San Salvador Airport, is a joint-use civilian and military airport. Its airport codes are IATA: SAL and ICAO: MSLP. The airport is located in the south-central area of El Salvador, in the city of San Luis Talpa, La Paz, about 50 kilometres (31 miles) from the city of San Salvador. It occupies a triangle-shaped area of 2,519.8 acres (1,019.7 hectares), which is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the south, the Jiboa River to the east, and the coastal highway to the northwest. Its close proximity to sea level allows aircraft to operate efficiently at maximum capacity.
The airport has a four-lane motorway connection to the capital, San Salvador, with an average travel time of 30 minutes for the 42-kilometre (26-mile) journey. The airport handles international flights to Central America, North America, South America, and Europe, including flights to Spain. It was originally designed to accommodate around 400,000 passengers per year, but in recent years, the number of passengers has increased significantly, bringing the airport to its maximum capacity. As a result, the airport has undergone two major expansions in the last decade. In the first phase, named AIES I, the number of boarding gates was increased from 7 to 12. In the second phase, AIES II, an additional 5 gates were added, bringing the total to 17. These expansions also included the construction of new and expanded passenger waiting areas.
The airport consists of a passenger terminal and a cargo terminal. The passenger terminal has a total area of 34,380 square metres (370,100 square feet) and includes waiting rooms, corridors, immigration and customs areas, and various shops. The cargo terminal, located west of the passenger terminal, covers an area of 10,286 square metres (110,720 square feet) and handles millions of tons of cargo each year. It has three parking positions for cargo aircraft and a platform for the maintenance of five aircraft.
El Salvador International Airport was built in the late 1970s to replace the Ilopango International Airport, which now serves regional, air taxi, military, and charter aviation. The construction was initiated by then-President Colonel Arturo Armando Molina, with funding provided by the Government of Japan. Hazama Ando (now Hazama Gumi) oversaw the engineering and construction, while Toshiba (then Tokyo Shibaura Electric) handled the electrical work. The airport commenced operations on January 31, 1980, as Cuscatlán International Airport, with its first flight being a TACA airliner bound for Guatemala City.
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Frequently asked questions
The airport code for El Salvador International Airport is SAL.
El Salvador International Airport is located in the city of San Luis Talpa, in the Department of La Paz, El Salvador.
El Salvador International Airport is located about 50 kilometres (31 miles) from the city of San Salvador.
The IATA code for El Salvador International Airport is SAL.











































