Ilopango International Airport guide

Ilopango International Airport sits on the eastern edge of San Salvador, in the municipality of Ilopango. Its ICAO code is MSSS and its elevation is 618 m. It was the capital's main international airport until January 1980, when international service moved to the larger airport about 50 km south of the city.

Today the airport handles military, air taxi and charter flights. It no longer has scheduled airline service. The single active runway, 15/33, is 2,240 m long and paved with asphalt. A second runway, 08/26, is closed. CEPA announced runway work in 2026, citing a rise in executive flight operations.

A new passenger terminal was inaugurated in December 2023 at a cost of more than US$684,000. It triples the installed capacity and is designed for 40,000 users a year. The building houses customs, migration, national police and international health offices, and the car park holds 120 vehicles. The old terminal is now the National Aviation Museum. The airport also hosts the annual Ilopango Air Show, and the Civil Aviation Authority of El Salvador has its headquarters on the grounds. The civil aviation authority granted the airport an aerodrome operator certificate in March 2024. Pan Am landed the first jet airliner here on 27 April 1964. The airport is open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.