The airport in Guatemala City (La Aurora) is, as you would expect in Latin America – hustling and bustling in both the arrivals and the departures area.
In July 2007, seven new gates were opened. These gates were equipped with Jetway bridges and modern conveniences. A new parking garage was also built and it can handle up to 500 vehicles.
There are brand new ticket counters. 2007 brought significant gate expansion (11 new gates were available starting December 2007). The airport now has two concourses. The northern concourse has 12 traditional gates and 3 remote gates. The central concourse, used for larger aircraft, provides 4-6 gates depending on the size of the aircraft.
The airport's runway currently measures 3,000 meters. There have been efforts in the past to expand the runway but this has not yet been possible since there's a commercial area to the north of the runway and a small ravine near the southern side of the runway.
With construction at the airport almost finished, but still some tweaking going on - arrival facilities and routes can change, so keep eyes open for signs and directions to baggage claim and exits.
Prior to the baggage hall, you will be faced with immigration. You should have received an entry document on your flight – and it is at this point that it will be examined. Lines here can be slow and quite long. Make sure before you depart that you have a minimum of 6 months validity on your passport; the rule is 90 days, but they can be awkward – and we have had guys sent home on the next flight for less than 90 days left – so better safe than sorry. No visa is required.
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