El Salvador airport (SAL)

El Salvador International Airport San Óscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdámez (SAL), historically known as Comalapa Airport and opened on January 31, 1980, serves the metropolitan area of San Salvador and the entire country. It is one of the main air transportation hubs in Central America, with direct and regular routes to major cities in North America (such as Miami, Houston, Los Angeles, Washington, New York, Mexico City, and Toronto), Central America and the Caribbean (Panama City, San José, Guatemala City, and Santo Domingo), South America (Bogotá, Lima), and Europe (Madrid).

Official website: cepa.gob.sv

Phone: +503 2375 2520

Social media:

Terminals

The airport has a single passenger terminal that operates continuously 24 hours a day. The building houses check-in counters, security checkpoints, boarding areas, and the arrivals area with customs and baggage claim.

Annual traffic (2025): 5.2 million passengers.

Information points

The airport has a main customer service and general information desk located in the public arrivals hall. In addition, CEPA provides digital and messaging channels for real-time inquiries about flights, services, and lost property.

 Location

The airport is located in the city of San Luis Talpa, in the department of La Paz, 42 km (26 miles) southeast of San Salvador.

Parking services at El Salvador airport (SAL)

The airport has monitored parking areas that operate continuously 24 hours a day, located within a short walking distance of the passenger terminal. The airport offers two main options depending on the length of your stay and the level of proximity desired:

General Parking

This is the standard option for both short stays (picking up or dropping off passengers) and leaving your vehicle for several days. It is located outdoors in front of the terminal complex.

VIP Parking

Designed for greater convenience and quicker access, this preferred area is located in front of the check-in and arrivals entrances. It features covered spaces with solar panel roofing and a closed-circuit security system.

Payment methods and recommendations

When entering the parking area, you must take a ticket from the automatic barriers and keep it in good condition throughout your stay. Before returning to your vehicle, validate and pay for the ticket at the self-service machines located in the terminal's exit corridors. The payment machines accept cash (U.S. dollars) and debit or credit cards. Once payment has been made, you have a 25-minute grace period to remove your vehicle from the parking area.

Both areas have clearly marked spaces reserved as a priority for vehicles driven by or transporting people with reduced mobility. To check the current parking rates, you can visit the Parking at CEPA portal.

Facilities for passengers with special needs

El Salvador International Airport has facilities and services designed to ensure accessibility and comfort for passengers with reduced mobility (PRM), senior citizens, pregnant women, and families traveling with young children:

Assistance for passengers with reduced mobility

The terminal building is equipped with access ramps, wide corridors, elevators, and accessible restrooms for wheelchair users. To request assistance and wheelchair transportation from the check-in counter to the boarding gate (or vice versa upon arrival), you must contact your airline at least 48 hours before the flight departure. Assigned staff will assist you throughout security screening, immigration procedures, and boarding.

Families and nursing rooms

As part of the airport's family assistance program, facilities are available to make traveling with young children easier:

• Priority access: Dedicated lines and priority processing for families at check-in counters and security screening checkpoints.
• Nursing rooms and booths: Private, specially equipped spaces for breastfeeding mothers located in front of boarding gates 2 and 14, as well as dedicated booths in front of gates 16 and 18.
• Family restrooms: Accessible restrooms with diaper-changing tables located throughout both public areas and boarding lounges.
• Play area: A children's play area designed to keep young children entertained before their flight departs.

Emergency medical assistance

The airport has a medical unit available continuously 24 hours a day, equipped with stretchers, first-aid equipment, and ambulances prepared to handle any health emergency that may occur within the airport premises.

Service animals and unaccompanied minors

If you are traveling with a guide dog or certified assistance animal, it is permitted to enter the terminal and the aircraft cabin at no additional cost. You must coordinate its registration with the relevant airline and carry the health certificate required by local agricultural authorities (OIRSA/MAG). For children ages 5 to 14 traveling without an accompanying adult, the different airlines offer unaccompanied minor programs providing supervision from check-in at the counter until the child is received by their designated guardian at the destination.