Culiacán Intl Airport - Spotting Guide

Culiacán Intl Airport – Spotting Guide

October 22, 2022 - last modified on November 30, 2023

Bachigualato Federal International Airport or Culiacán International Airport (CUL/MMCL) is the busiest airport of the state of Sinaloa in Mexico. It is located about 15km away from the city center of Culiacán. The airport consists of 1 main terminal that was expanded in November 2012. The airport also has a GAT located next to the main terminal serving private operations with mainly Cessna aircraft and private charter flights. Culiacán is also home to Base Aérea Militar No.10, as the name suggests it is a Military Base which hosts Escuadrón Aéreo 109 that operates a fleet of Cessna 182’s.

CUL is among the top 10 busiest airports in Mexico having served almost 2 million passengers in 2021. It serves several domestic destinations in Mexico (busiest is to Tijuana with 430.000 passenger a year) as well as international routes to the US. CUL is also an important focus city for the two main low cost carriers in the country, Volaris and Vivaaerobus. But other regular carriers in CUL include carriers likes Aeromexico, TAR, Calafia Airlines and American Eagle. As for cargo operations: Aeronaves TSM and Estafeta are a regular sight at CUL.

Written by Severin Hackenberger in cooperation with Marco Cuadras and Ricardo Mungarro. Last Update: 2022

Rating
Movements
Airline Variety
Photo Locations
Weather
Airport Information
Runways
02/20	2,245 m/ 7,365ft Asphalt
Terminals
T1	The main terminal is operated by Aeromexico/Aeromexico Connect (Note that Aeromexico operates only in high demand seasons), American Eagle, Calafia Airlines, TAR (Transportes Aereos Regionales), Vivaaerobus and Volaris.
Spotting Information
Ladder	Only needed at spot 1 for ground operations.
Car/Public Transport	Car is recommended for all spots, but you can also get a taxi or get a ride with an app (Uber or Didi).
Drinks/Food	There is a breakfast restaurant with food, drinks and restrooms near spot 1 and 2, it is called “La Unica”. Spot 3 is inside the terminal so everything is available there.
Hotels	There aren’t any hotels near the airport but the closest one is Ibis hotel which is located 6 minutes away from the airport by car.
Season	All of the year is good for spotting planes, Climate in Culiacán is hot and has high humidity levels so you will feel more hot even when the temperature is lower, be sure to wear sun protection, also note that there are frequent rains during August
Security	The area surrounding the airport is considered a federal zone, and there’s police (guardia nacional) cars regularly checking the area, most of the time they are friendly and they don’t mind what you are doing as long as you keep a low profile and be polite if approached. It is recommended to always carry an ID with you in case they ask you questions. But in the case the police does ask you to leave however, simply be polite and leave as asked. Unfortunately, given Mexico’s unsafe nature, it is essential to always be aware of your surroundings and it is highly recommended that you’re never by yourself – especially night as petty crime and robberies are unfortunately common in this particular part of Mexico. If you do notice suspicious activity please report it to the police immediately (The emergency number is 911).
Runway Usage
General Info	CUL has one runway (02/20), the usage depends on the wind and time. 02 if the wind is calm (nights and mornings), 20 mostly used around noon and afternoon, in summer also sometimes from the morning on.

	Spot #1 – Emiliano Carranza St – 02 departures + 20 arrivals + lineups/exits
WHERE	Located near the airport is a huge, digital billboard where you can stay. The OMA Aeropuertos screen is really easy to locate since it is a huge screen showing ads. To get there by car you need to enter Emiliano Carranza street as if you were going to enter to the airport. Once you see the big screen you can stop your car on the right lane of the road and be sure to put your blinkers on because it is an active road. If you want to park your car without any issues you can do so at the official airport parking lot nearby and walk back to the spot.

WHAT	You will see takeoffs from Runway 02, aircraft exiting Runway 02 at the end of the runway and Runway 20 Takeoffs/Landings.

TIME	From dawn to noon all the year, from late noon aircraft are top lit.

MISC.	Ladder is needed for this spot if you want to take photos of aircraft taxiing (mostly there aren’t any issues with ladders just be sure to not lean it against the fence). If you walk and cross a street there is a restaurant nearby called “La Unica”, There are not any issues with police unless you are tempering with the fence.. People that are walking on the sidewalk are always very friendly sometimes they are interested on what are you doing. Watch out for heat haze on aircraft operating on the ground during summer.

FOCAL LENGTH	100-400 737 taxiing = 150mm / 320 taking off runway 02=250mm / LJ75 taking off runway 02=320mm

	Spot #2 – Calzada Aeropuerto St – 20 Arrivals
WHERE	Take Calzada Aeropuerto street and make a U turn just before a gas station and continue until you see a bunch of trees and the airport fence. Park your car in the bounding of the road.

WHAT	Airplanes on their final approach to runway 20 very close to you, you can be able to take closeup shots from this spot.

TIME	Early afternoon till sunset.

MISC.	There is a gas station and a restaurant nearby, also watch out for cars rushing by. Using a ladder is not recommended because the fence is too high.

FOCAL LENGTH	24-100mm A320=40mm E145=62mm 737-9=38mm

	Spot #3 – Departure Gates – 20 Movements + apron
WHERE	This spot is located inside the terminal after security. Once you are inside, head for the gates, they will be at your right.

WHAT	You can see Takeoffs and landings from Runway 20 and also ground movements including aircraft parking at the remote positions.

TIME	From dawn to noon all the year, from late noon aircraft are top lit.

MISC.	Watch out for window glare which is fairly easy to correct adjusting your white balance. Be aware, that this spot is after security and you need a valid boarding pass.

FOCAL LENGTH	70-200mm A320=150mm, E145=175mm, A320 taxiing=70mm