Puerto Vallarta Airport Will Open A New Terminal In 2024

With thousands of tourists now arriving in Puerto Vallarta on a daily basis, the local government has chosen to expand the main airport in the area. 

This is why it was decided that the Licenciado Gustavo Díaz Ordaz International Airport, often simply referred to as Puerto Vallarta International Airport, will open a new terminal in 2024. 

In this way, this building will be able to welcome even more tourists without the formation of long queues for document checks and other common airport practices.

But what do we know about this great project? 

What we know about Terminal 2 

The budget for the new Terminal is 7 billion pesos, which, as of today, is equal to over $400,000!

Talking about this stunning project, Chryshtian José Amador Lizardi, the Director of the International Airport, declared: “We are moving forward. We are working day and night, mainly in the new terminal building (…).”

He then added: “We continue to advance on the issue, not only (in the construction of a) new terminal building, (but also working on) improvements to the building and (the preparation) for this winter season in coordination with the three levels of government and the airport authorities.”

Terminal 2 should open in 2024, but it is still unclear when it will become fully operational. 

Keeping sustainability in mind

According to local news, the new terminal will be built to have the lowest impact on the environment. The current plan is for Terminal 2 to become one of the most sustainable terminals in Latin America. But how?

Ideally, the Puerto Vallarta government would like to receive a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification.

This is the most widely used green building rating system developed by the non-profit U.S. Green Building Council and given to buildings based on their environmental impact. 

As of 2023, there are over 105,000 LEED-certified buildings all over the world, and Terminal 2 of Puerto Vallarta Airport will hopefully soon be included in the list. 

Not by chance, this building will be built using 85,000 cubic meters of Vertua low-carbon concrete, preventing the emission of 16,000 tons of COs compared to common concrete. 

The President of Cemex, the company that provided the airport with such material, Ricardo Naya commented: “The Puerto Vallarta International Airport is a new window to show the best of Mexico to the world. We are proud to be part of this large-scale project that seeks to boost tourism. 

He later added: “Not only are we providing very high-quality construction materials, we are also helping to reduce the project’s carbon footprint with our more sustainable solutions.”

Apart from this new revolutionary concrete, the terminal will also feature the installation of solar panels on the roof, which will reduce energy consumption by 40% and water consumption by 35%.

Records arrivals 

But why did the local government decide to join the green revolution? 

As most people know, the aviation industry is among the most polluting in the world. Flying to a given destination is by far one of the least ecological ways of traveling. However, tourists heading to Puerto Vallarta for their holidays don’t really have a choice. 

Most of the people traveling here for the winter season come from faraway countries such as the US and Europe. For them, flying is the only option. 

On top of this, tourists heading here are now breaking all records, with more than 6 million passengers arriving in Puerto Vallarta since the beginning of 2023. And numbers are expected to keep increasing up to 6.5 million! 

Airlines are constantly adding new routes to this popular destination, but while this is extremely good for the local economy, the same can not be said for the environment. 

This is why the local government has decided to make sure the new terminal will be as sustainable as possible by minimizing CO2 emissions while still allowing people to relax during their holidays and fully enjoy everything that Puerto Vallarta has to offer.