When your airplane arrives at the Mazatlán International Airport you may most likely will NOT be connected to a gate.

If your airplane doesn't connect to a gate they will roll stairs up to the airplane after you land for you to disembark upon.  The stairs are steep and this can be an issue for disabled people.  

Sometimes, the airplanes have a rear exit ramp where the back of the plane can disembark.

The first thing that you need to do after arriving at the Mazatlán International airport is to go through immigration.

First, you will take a fairly long walk down a few hallways to get to the immigration desks.

This process is similar to going through immigration when entering Canada or the United States.  You will need to show your identification, i.e. passport, and present your immigration form and visa is you require one.

Next, you will proceed to the baggage area just past the immigration desks to collect your bags.

There is only 1 baggage carousel so you can't miss it.

Sometimes it can take quite a while to get your bags because they are unloaded by hand and there may be multiple planes that have landed.

This area hasn't yet been upgraded so it has been the same for the last 20 years.  There is a washroom here for you to use while you wait.

Next, you will proceed through Mexican Customs.

First, you will need to hand your Customs form, the one you received on your flight, to the Customs agent.

Next, you will press a button on stop light pillar with a red and green light.  If the light goes red your luggage will be x-rayed, opened and examined.  If the light goes green, you will just have your luggage x-rayed, and you can leave.

Next, you will proceed into the terminal area.  First you will a room that has car rental kiosks.  The taxis and buses are so cheap and easy to use in Mazatlan that you probably don't need to rent a car.

Walk past out into the terminal and on your right is the kiosk where you can pay for a taxi or shuttle bus to get to where you are going.  See below for approximate prices.

Next, you will see all the drivers holding signs for the people/hotels that have pre-arranged transportation.  Talk to the appropriate person if you have pre-arranged ground transportation.

There are no city buses or rapid transit to go from the tourist areas to the airport in Mazatlán.  So, if you do not have a hotel to airport transfer as part of your vacation package, you must take a taxi or van to the airport!

The taxis in Mazatlán are called 'Eco Taxis' and are typically Nissan Sentras which seat 4 at maximum.  These taxis are usually stationed out front of most major hotels and intersections in Mazatlán so they are easy to get.  You don't really need a reservation to get a taxi if you are near a hotel, there are always enough of them available.  With luggage, these taxis can be a tight squeeze even for 4 people.  So, if you have many people you may have to take multiple taxis or arrange for a van that can hold more people.  If you want to get a van, we do recommend that you talk to the front desk or concierge of your hotel the day before to reserve one.  Taxis to the airport typically cost US$15-20 (about 300-400 pesos) depending on how far your hotel is from the airport.  You can negotiate the price with the taxi driver, but they are unlikely to go below 250 pesos ($20US) and probably will want a small tip, e.g. 50 pesos, on top of the amount agreed upon when you reach the airport.  Vans will be more expensive and would need to be arranged beforehand through your hotel.

There is no need to arrive at the Mazatlán airport any more than 2 hours before any flight.  The Mazatlán airport is small so 2 hours is more than enough time to check in and catch your flight.

The Mazatlán International Airport has gone through lots of renovations over the years and now there are lots of shops and food options.  The main terminal on the lower level has a bunch of small shops including a Venados Baseball team shop, and a bar.  On the second level there is a bar, full service restaurant, a Carl Jr's Hamburger stand, and a few more shops.

For international flights, there are few duty free shops at the gates after you go through security.  Note that there are limited and very expensive food and drink options at the gate after you have gone through security so we don't recommend that you go to the gate too early.  You are better to wait in the area outside the gates where it is more comfortable.

The largest domestic carries with the most frequent flights and connections to Mazatlán are Aeromexico, VivaAerobus, and Volaris.

Other domestic airlines with less frequent flights are: Calafia Airlines, Magnicharters, Mexicana de Aviacion, and TAR Aerolineas.

The main airlines that service the Mazatlán International Airport from the USA are: Alaska Airlines, American Airlines(and regional partner American Eagle), Delta Air Lines, Sun country Airlines, and United Airlines(and regional partner United Express).

The main airlines that service the Mazatlán International Airport from Canada are: Westjet, Air Canada, and Sunwing Airlines.

Note that most of these international flights are seasonal!

The IATA Airport Code for the Mazatlán International Airport is: MZT

The ICAO Airport Code for the Mazatlán International Airport is: MMMZ

The airport taxis have a lock on all the taxi trips from the airport.  To get a taxi, you need to go to the taxi stand, tell them where you are going, then pay the appropriate fee for the zone that you are going to.  The taxi prices are expensive ranging from about US$30-40.

Prices vary based on what part of Mazatlán you are staying at.  For example, Cerritos is north of the Golden Zone and will cost you more.

Summer 2023 taxi prices were Zone 1: MX$480, Zone 2: MX$500, Zone 3: MX$530, Zone 4: MX$680.

There are shared airport shuttles that are much cheaper, about US$10-$20, but they won't sell tickets for these unless there are at least 4 people that are taking it.  These shuttles will make multiple stops so will usually take longer than taxis because you have to wait for them to fill up and depending on if you are the first or last to be dropped off.

Summer 2023 shuttle bus prices were Zone 1: MX$160, Zone 2: MX$270, Zone 3: MX$190, Zone 4: MX$250.

Tip: If is helpful to have some pesos bills with you to pay for your taxi when you arrive so that you don't have to exchange at the airport.

You can negotiate a price with a taxi driver to take you to the airport.  As of 2025, the going rate from the tourist zone (Golden Zone) to the airport using a red Eco-taxi was $500 pesos plus tip.

We don't recommend taking a pulmonia taxi to the airport because of the wind and heat on the highway to the airport.

Prices vary based on what part of Mazatlán you are staying at.  For example, Cerritos is north of the Golden Zone and will cost you more.

Note: There are ongoing issues between the taxi companies on who can take tourists to the Mazatlán International Airport.  Taxis have been blockaded a number of times.  We normally take the red Eco-taxis.

Yes, we have taken an UBER to the Mazatlán International Airport, but they may refuse to go there because there are territorial disputes with taxis.  To avoid this, we recommend that you just take a red eco-taxi.