Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport | |||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||
| Serves | Belize City | ||||||||||
| Location | Ladyville | ||||||||||
| Hub for | |||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 5 m / 16 ft | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 17°32′21″N088°18′30″W / 17.53917°N 88.30833°W /17.53917; -88.30833 | ||||||||||
| Website | pgiabelize.com | ||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||
  MZBZ Location in Belize | |||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||
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| Statistics (2024) | |||||||||||
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| Source: Passenger and aircraft movement statistics from PGIA airport[1] | |||||||||||
Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport (IATA:BZE,ICAO:MZBZ) is aninternational airport that serves the nation ofBelize's largest city,Belize City along the eastern coast ofCentral America. It was named after politicianPhilip S. W. Goldson, who died in 2001. The airport is at an elevation of 5 m (16 ft), which means both the airport and the entirety of Belize City are at risk of seriousflooding due to its low elevation and coastal location. For this reason, Belize's capital has been moved toBelmopan, but the airport remains the largest and busiest in the country. With stable passenger growth, Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport is currentlythe fifth busiest airport in Central America. Belize Airport covers 457 acres (185 ha) of land and has one runway.[2]
The airport is about 30 minutes drive from Belize City's centre, inLadyville. In mid-2020, a new paved access road was completed from the George Price Highway, eight kilometres north, across the Belize River, directly to the side of the airfield where the passenger terminal is located.
Originally known asBelize International Airport, the airport was renamed in honor ofPhilip S. W. Goldson on 7 February 1988.[3]
Due to theBelizean–Guatemalan territorial dispute, Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport has hosted several military units over the years since its construction. In 1984, a seniorUS Air Force General stated that it was "the best defended airfield in Central America".[4] Most notable residents have been HeadquartersBritish Forces Belize,No. 1417 (Tactical Ground Attack) Flight RAF operatingHarrier jump jets,No. 1563 (Helicopter support) Flight RAF, resident Anti-Aircraft Squadrons of theRAF Regiment, resident helicopter units of theArmy Air Corps,HarDet Belize, Butcher Radar andBelize Defence Forces, among others.Price Barracks is a military installation located just north of the airport, which was formerly known as Airport Camp, the headquarters of British Forces Belize.[citation needed]
In 1950,TACA Airlines (which is nowAvianca Honduras) was operating weekly nonstop flights toNew Orleans andSan Salvador as well as weekly direct one stop service toManagua withDouglas DC-4 propliners.[5] TACA subsequently began operatingVickers Viscount turboprops on a weekly southbound service flying a routing of New Orleans - Belize City -Guatemala City - San Salvador -Tegucigalpa - Managua -San Jose, Costa Rica -Panama City, Panama.[6] In 1953,British West Indian Airways (BWIA, which is nowCaribbean Airlines) in association withBritish Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC, which is nowBritish Airways) was operating one flight a week to Belize fromKingston, Jamaica via an intermediate stop inGrand Cayman with aVickers VC.1 Viking twin-prop aircraft with this flight offering connecting service via Kingston from a BOAC flight that operated a routing fromLondon, England via stops inNew York City,Nassau, Bahamas andMontego Bay, Jamaica.[7] BWIA in conjunction with BOAC would later operate weekly nonstop service between the airport and Kingston withVickers Viscount turboprop aircraft.[8] Thirty years later in 1983, four airlines were operating jet service into the airport according to theOfficial Airline Guide (OAG) includingAir Florida with nonstopBoeing 737-200 flights fromMiami andSan Pedro Sula, Servicio Aereo de Honduras (SAHSA) with nonstopBoeing 727-100 flights fromHouston (viaHouston Intercontinental Airport),New Orleans and San Pedro Sula,TACA Airlines International with nonstop Boeing 737-200 andBritish Aircraft CorporationBAC One-Eleven flights from Houston (via Houston Intercontinental Airport), Miami, New Orleans andSan Salvador, andTransportes Aereos Nacionales (TAN Airlines) with nonstop Boeing 737-200 flights from Miami and San Pedro Sula while local air carrierMaya Airways was operating domestic service in Belize withBritten-Norman Islander twin-prop aircraft.[9] Also according to the OAG, by 1989 TACA had introduced wide bodyBoeing 767-200 nonstop service to Miami in addition to its Boeing 737-200 flights with other service to Miami at this time being operated byEastern Airlines withBoeing 727-200s as well as TAN with Boeing 737-200s.[10]
Belize Airways Ltd. was a scheduled passenger airline based at the airport which operated flights toMiami,San Pedro Sula,San Salvador andLa Ceiba withBoeing 720 and stretchedBritish Aircraft CorporationBAC One-Eleven series 500 jetliners operated at various times during its existence from 1977 to 1980 according to its timetables.[11][12]
| Domestic destinations map |
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 Belize City Intl  Caye Caulker Caye Chapel Corozal Dangringa Placencia San Pedro Belize City Municipal San Ignacio Domestic destinations Blue = Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport Red = Year-round destination Green = Seasonal destination |
| Central America destinations map |
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 Belize City Intl  San Salvador Panama City–PTY Flores Guatemala City Roatán Central America destinations Blue = Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport Red = Year-round destination Green = Seasonal destination |
| Canada, United States, and Mexico destinations map |
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 Belize City Intl Toronto–YYZ Dallas/Fort Worth–DFW Los Angeles–LAX San Francisco–SFO Miami Charlotte Atlanta Houston–IAH Minneapolis/St Paul Chetumal Cancún Chicago–ORD Newark Seattle/Tacoma Calgary Denver Canada, United States, and Mexico destinations Blue = Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport Red = Year-round destination Green = Seasonal destination |
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Amerijet International | Miami |
On 17 April 2025, a US national hijackedTropic Air Flight 711 flying fromCorozal toSan Pedro, stabbing and injuring two passengers. He was shot dead by another passenger after the aircraft made an emergency landing at the airport.[21]
Media related toPhilip S. W. Goldson International Airport at Wikimedia Commons| Landmarks | ||
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This list is incomplete. | ||
