Belize's Air Gateway: A Comprehensive Overview

Belize has one international airport, Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport, and several domestic airports scattered across the country. The country has at least 12 large airports and airfields in total, with one source listing 19.

Philip S.W. Goldson Airport

There are 19 airports in Belize, including international airports, domestic airports, military airports, and private airports. One of these airports is Philip S.W. Goldson International Airport, which serves Belize City, the largest city in Belize. The airport is located in the village of Ladyville, approximately nine miles from Belize City, and is the largest and busiest airport in the country. It is also the fifth busiest airport in Central America, with stable passenger growth.

The airport is named after politician Philip S. W. Goldson, who died in 2001. It was originally known as Belize International Airport until it was renamed in honour of Goldson on 7 February 1988. The airport covers 457 acres of land and is at an elevation of 5 metres (16 feet), which puts it at risk of serious flooding due to its low elevation and coastal location. This is also why the capital of Belize has been moved to Belmopan.

The Philip Goldson Airport has a long runway measuring 9,700 feet, capable of accommodating full-size aircraft. It offers direct connections to several cities in the United States, Canada, and Central America. American airlines offering non-stop flights to Belize include Delta Airlines, American Airlines, United Airlines, and Southwest Airlines. Canadian airlines with non-stop flights include Air Canada and WestJet. Local airlines Tropic Air and Maya Island Air provide domestic service to over a dozen airports within Belize.

The airport has undergone a $60 million improvement project, which includes infrastructure expansion, a new Eastern Taxiway, a new car park facility, personnel training, new services, and equipment upgrades.

Domestic airports in Belize

Belize has one international airport and several domestic airports scattered across the country. The domestic airports are located in the most populous areas of each district and are mainly used by tourists during the high season.

The five most popular airports in Belize are:

• Belize City Municipal Airport (also known as Sir Barry Bowen Municipal Airport)
• San Pedro Airport
• Caye Caulker Airport
• Placencia Airport
• San Ignacio Airport

Other domestic airports in Belize include:

• Corozal Town Airport
• Hector Silva Airstrip – Belmopan Airport
• John Greif II Airport — San Pedro, Ambergris Caye Airport
• Maya Flats Airstrip – San Ignacio Town Airport
• Caye Chapel Airport
• Dangriga Airport
• Melinda Airport
• Orange Walk Airport
• Manatee Airport
• Independence Airport
• Maya Flats Airport
• Silver Creek Airport

International flights to Philip Goldson Airport

There are 19 airports in Belize, including international, domestic, military, and private airports. The only international airport in Belize is the Philip S.W. Goldson International Airport, located in the village of Ladyville, about nine or ten miles from Belize City. The airport is named after Philip S.W. Goldson, a Belizean politician and nationalist who died in 2001.

The airport is the largest and busiest in Belize, serving the nation's largest city, Belize City, along the eastern coast of Central America. It is also currently the fifth busiest airport in Central America, with stable passenger growth. The airport covers 457 acres of land and has one runway, which, at 9,700 or 9,900 feet long, can accommodate full-size aircraft.

The Philip Goldson Airport offers direct connections to several cities in the United States, including Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Fort Lauderdale, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Newark, New Orleans, and Seattle/Tacoma. There are also direct flights to Toronto and Calgary in Canada, as well as to several Central American cities, including San Salvador, Panama City, Panama, Flores, Guatemala, San Pedro Sula, Guatemala, Cancun, Mexico, Merida, Mexico, Guatemala City, and Roatan, Honduras.

Several international airlines operate out of the Philip Goldson Airport, including Alaska Air, American Airlines, COPA, Delta, JetBlue Airways, Southwest, Sun Country, Transportes Aereos Guatemaltecos (TAG), United, WestJet, Air Canada, and more.

Belize's two domestic airlines

Belize has 19 airports, including international, domestic, military, and private airports. The country has two domestic airlines: Maya Island Air and Tropic Air. These airlines primarily use Cessna Caravan planes, which are often called "puddle jumpers". They operate from the Philip Goldson International Airport and domestic airports across Belize. Maya Island Air and Tropic Air offer seamless connections to domestic flights from the Belize International Airport, where they have check-in counters.

Maya Island Air is Belize's most experienced airline and offers daily scheduled flights to popular destinations, including San Pedro, Dangriga (Hopkins), and Placencia. The airline also flies to the islands of Caye Caulker and Caye Chapel and the seaside towns of Corozal and Punta Gorda. Maya Island Air serves 11 destinations in Belize, including Kanantik (Stann Creek) and Tower Hill (Orange Walk). The airline provides convenient access to private islands, seaside resorts, and mainland attractions unique to Belize.

Tropic Air flies to 11 domestic destinations within Belize, including Belize City Municipal, San Pedro, Caye Caulker, and Belmopan. The airline also offers multiple daily flights to San Ignacio from various locations, including San Pedro, Caye Caulker, and the Belize International and Municipal airports. Tropic Air also provides regional flights to nearby destinations such as Cancun, Guatemala City, and Roatan, using Beechcraft 1900 aircraft.

Both Maya Island Air and Tropic Air operate dozens of flights daily to destinations across Belize. While the flight times are typically less than an hour, it is recommended to book ahead due to the small capacity of the planes, which can carry 15 or fewer passengers. These domestic flights offer convenience and affordability when travelling within Belize, and they provide breathtaking views of the Caribbean Sea and the Maya Mountains.

Airports in Belize, sorted by location

There is one international airport in Belize, Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport, located in the village of Ladyville, approximately nine to ten miles from Belize City. The airport is commonly referred to as "Belize Airport" and has a runway measuring 9,700 feet, capable of accommodating full-size aircraft.

Several domestic airports are scattered across the country, mainly used by tourists during the peak season. The five most popular airports in this category are:

• Belize City Municipal Airport, also known as Sir Barry Bowen Municipal Airport
• San Pedro Airport, serving Ambergris Caye
• Caye Caulker Airport
• Placencia Airport
• San Ignacio Airport, also referred to as Maya Flats Airstrip

Other domestic airports in Belize include:

• Corozal Town Airport, also known as Corozal Airport or Ranchito Airstrip
• Hector Silva Airstrip, located in Belmopan
• John Greif II Airport, located in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye
• Maya Flats Airstrip, serving San Ignacio Town and Benque Viejo
• Caye Chapel Airport
• Dangriga Airport
• Melinda Airport
• Manatee Airport, also known as Spanish Lookout Airport
• Belmopan Airport
• Independence Airport, serving Independence and Mango Creek
• Orange Walk Airport, also known as Orange Walk Airstrip
• Matthew Spain Airport
• Silver Creek Airport
• Blackbird Caye Airstrip

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