El Salvador International Airport Saint Óscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdámez

El Salvador International Airport is about 42 km (26 miles) south of San Salvador, linked to the capital by a four-lane motorway. The drive usually takes 40 to 50 minutes by car, depending on traffic. Public bus route 138 is slower, taking about 60 to 90 minutes to reach the southern bus terminal.

No. The airport is in San Luis Talpa, in La Paz department, near the Pacific coast and the Comalapa area, which is why many people call it Comalapa Airport. It serves San Salvador but sits about 42 km south of the capital, closer to the coast than to the city center.

El Salvador International Airport operates one passenger terminal complex for all flights. A new arrivals area opened in June 2026, adding immigration capacity, a larger baggage system and a separate carousel for surfboards. Because all airlines share the same complex, there is no transfer between terminals for arriving travelers.

Avianca El Salvador has its hub at SAL and flies to many cities in the Americas and to Madrid. Volaris El Salvador, United Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, Copa Airlines, Aeroméxico, Air Transat, Iberia, Iberojet and TAG Airlines also serve the airport, all from the same terminal complex.

Yes. An authorized taxi cooperative has desks in the arrivals hall where you can check zone fares and book a ride before walking to the taxi stand outside. The trip to San Salvador takes about 40 to 50 minutes. Use the authorized stand rather than drivers who approach you outside the terminal.

Yes. Public bus route 138 stops on the highway outside the airport and runs to the Terminal de Buses del Sur in San Salvador, taking about 60 to 90 minutes. It is the slowest option and has little room for luggage, so most arriving travelers prefer a taxi, Uber or a pre-arranged transfer.

Yes, Uber operates at El Salvador International Airport. Request the ride after you have collected your luggage, then follow the app to the meeting point near the parking area. Check that the plate and car model match the app before getting in, as several vehicles may be waiting at once.

Most visa-exempt visitors, including citizens of the US, Canada and EU countries, buy a tourist card on arrival at immigration, so bring cash. Travelers who need a visa apply online through El Salvador's eVisa system before flying. Customs is paperless, and only those carrying over US$10,000, weapons or commercial goods must declare.

El Tunco and the other Surf City beaches in La Libertad, such as El Sunzal, El Zonte and Mizata, are about 40 to 60 minutes from the airport by road. Most travelers use a taxi, Uber or a pre-arranged beach transfer, since there is no direct public bus from the terminal to the beaches.

El Salvador uses the US dollar as its everyday currency, so travelers carrying dollars do not need to exchange money on arrival. The country follows Central Standard Time (UTC−6) throughout the year and does not observe daylight saving time, which puts it one hour behind US Eastern time in winter.

The airport lies in the Pacific coastal lowlands, so arriving travelers can expect hot, humid conditions for most of the year. San Salvador, at a higher elevation inland, is usually a little milder. Light clothing works on arrival, and the rainy season brings afternoon storms roughly from May to October.

The airport is operated by the Comisión Ejecutiva Portuaria Autónoma (CEPA), the state body that also runs El Salvador's ports. It handled more than 5.2 million passengers in 2025, slightly fewer than about 5.29 million in 2024, and has one main runway of 3,200 meters.