Airport Overview
Philip S.W. Goldson International Airport (PGIA) is an airport that serves the Belize's largest city, Belize City, along the eastern coast of Central America. The airport was originally constructed in 1943 and was privatized in 2004.
Today PGIA has a runway of 2,950 m and 68,350 m2 of parking area. There is a full Crash Fire and Rescue Department and the airport is designated as a Category 8 in accordance with ICAO Annex 14. The management and operation is under the Belize Airport Concession Company, a consortium of Belizean investors that took over the administration and management in April 2004.
PGIA is at an elevation of 5 m (16 ft.) above the sea level. Due to its low elevation and coastal location both the airport and the entirety of Belize City are at risk of serious flooding. For this reason, Belize's capital has been moved to Belmopan while Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport remains the largest and busiest in the country.
The best way to get to and from the city center is via taxi. Although an airport bus service is in place, it is very infrequent and unreliable.
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Airport Location and Contact |
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|---|---|
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Country |
Belize |
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Province or District |
Ladyville |
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Nearest Town or City |
Belize City (16 km) |
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Airport’s Complete Name |
Phillip S.W. Goldson International Airport |
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Latitude |
17.5391666667 |
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Longitude |
-88.3080555556 |
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Elevation (ft. and m) |
16 ft. / 5 m |
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IATA Code |
BZE |
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ICAO Code |
MZBZ |
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Managing Company or Airport Authority |
Belize Airport Concession Company |
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Management Contact Person |
Enrique Hoare – Manager of Operations |
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Open From (hours) |
06:00 |
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Open To (hours) |
18:00 |
Airport Picture
Description and Contacts of Key Companies
For more information on airport contacts, please see the following link: 4.5 Belize Airport Companies Contact List.
Information on some aviation service providers can be found at: http://www.azfreight.com/
Passenger and Cargo Performance Indicator
The airport terminal building has a total surface of 10,220 m2 (110,000 ft.2). It contains two terminals, international arrival and departure halls, a domestic arrival hall, restaurants, snack outlets, duty free and duty paid shops, a bank, and various other services.
There is a 1,115 m2 (12,000 ft.2) air cargo terminal building located on the northern section of the airport and accessible from the old airport road. There are eight cargo operators: Amerijet, Aero Dispatch, FedEx, DHL, E-Zone, AeroPost, Belize Post Office, and Sidasheari.
The PGIA is designated as a Category 8 Airport in accordance with ICAO Annex 14.
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Performance for 2016 |
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|---|---|---|---|
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Per Year |
Per Month |
Per Day |
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Total Aircraft Movements |
30,414 |
2,535 |
85 |
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Total Passengers |
867,796 |
72,330 |
2,400 |
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Total Capacity of the Airport (MT) |
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Current Activity of the Airport (MT) |
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Current use by Humanitarian Flights (UNHAS) |
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Runways
Philip Goldson International Airport has only one airstrip with an extension of 2,950 x 46 m, which is in a good condition. There is a taxiway going from the west side of the airport to the head of the runway.
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Runway #1 |
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|---|---|
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Runway Dimensions |
2950 x 46 m (9678 x 150 ft.) |
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Orientation |
07/25 |
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Surface |
Hard Asphalt - PCN 061FCWU |
Helicopter Pad(s)
Philip Goldson Airport does not have heliports or helipads. Helicopters need to use the same parking ramp as other aircrafts.
Airport Infrastructure Details
According to a concession agreement with the Belizean government, the concessionaire of the airport PGIA pursues an investment program that includes the modernization of the airport and its services. Investments to improve all airport services are foreseen to be finalized until 2020.
PGIA is also looking for funding to modernize the central building and to have access sleeves for passengers in addition to all boarding and disembarkation gates for passengers.
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Customs |
Yes |
JET A-1 fuel |
Yes |
|---|---|---|---|
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Immigration |
Yes |
AVGAS 100 |
Yes |
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Terminal Building |
Yes |
Single Point Refueling |
Yes |
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Passenger Terminal |
Yes |
Air Starter Units |
Yes |
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Cargo terminal |
Yes |
Ground Power (mobile) |
Yes |
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Pax Transport to Airfield |
No |
Ground Handling Services |
Yes |
|
Control Tower |
Yes |
Latrine Servicing |
Yes |
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Weather Facilities |
Yes |
Fire Fighting Category (ICAO) |
Yes |
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Catering Services |
Yes |
De-icing Equipment |
No |
|
Base Operating Room |
Yes |
Parking Ramp Lighting |
Yes |
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Airport Radar |
Yes |
Approach & Runway Lights |
Yes |
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NDB |
Yes |
VOR |
Yes |
|
ILS |
No |
LCN |
69 |
Airport Operating Details
The PGIA is equipped with three taxiways: Alpha, Bravo and Charlie. All three are 23 m (75 ft.) wide. Alpha is 750 m (2,470 ft.) long with 7.5 m (25 ft.) wide non-load bearing shoulders, while Bravo and Charlie are 150 m (484 ft.) long with no shoulders.
The parking apron at the PGIA is 514,220 m2 (615,800 ft.2) with a declared strength of 86 LCN. There are seven parking slots available for nose parking.
The following visual markings are available: visual markings on the runway, thresholds and designation markings, center lines, runway edge larkings and fixed distance markings.
The following lighting systems are in place: runway edge lights, threshold lights, taxiway edge lights, PAPI lights (left hand side of the runway) and stop way lights.
The following navigational aid is available: DVOR (Doppler VHF Omni-Directional Radar), DME (Distance Measuring Equipment), DRDF (Digital Readout Directional Finder and NDB (Non-directions beam).
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Operating Details |
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|---|---|---|
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Maximum Sized Aircraft that can be Offloaded on Bulk Cargo |
L-10-20 or C-130 |
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Maximum Sized Aircraft that can be Offloaded on Pallet |
Airbus A300 & A310 |
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Total Aircraft Parking Area (m²) |
68,358 |
|
|
Storage Area (m2) |
1,115 |
|
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Handling Equipment |
||
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Elevators / Hi Loaders |
Yes |
Max Capacity (MT) |
|
Max Height (m) |
||
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Loading Ramps |
Yes |
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Customs Guidance
To clear the cargo all procedures have to be completed according to the customs regulations of Belize. The working hours of the customs offices are from Monday to Friday from 8:00 to 16:00
For more information on customs in Belize, please see the following link: 1.3 Belize Customs Information.
Storage Facilities
PGIA has roofed storage facilities for both import and export air cargo of 1,115 m2.
Fuel Service Charges
Puma Energy is the only operator of fuel supply for aircrafts.
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|
Price per Litre USD - $ |
|---|---|
|
Jet A-1 |
2.90 |
|
Avgas |
5.20 |
Security
A project to strengthen airport security funded by the Inter-American Development Bank is currently ongoing. It consists of the following components: Regulatory strengthening of the DCA to meet new ICAO standards, provision of equipment for the Philip S.W. Goldson International Airport in support of the regulatory reform and training components, and training for specialized areas of airport security and the training of trainers.
In addition, the PGIA receives technical support to improve and update the security system.
