Puerto Vallarta’s airport is expanding, and federal immigration officials want their space inside the terminal addressed before passenger growth creates more pressure. During a recent airport council report, INM’s representative in Jalisco asked the airport operator for better facilities and support for immigration processing. He said current wait times remain below the standard he cited, but the agency wants conditions that match the airport’s growth.
INM asks for better immigration facilities at Puerto Vallarta airport
Puerto Vallarta’s federal immigration office is asking Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico for better spaces and support inside the international terminal as airport projects move forward.
Fidel Gaona Urbina, the National Migration Institute representative in Jalisco, made the request during the presentation of the Puerto Vallarta International Airport Advisory Council report. He said INM’s airport work includes registering the entry of foreign visitors arriving by air.
Gaona also cited 26 million foreign entries last year while discussing INM’s workload. That figure should not be read as Puerto Vallarta airport traffic. Local airport passenger totals are far lower, measured in millions of total passengers per year rather than tens of millions.
Immigration space enters the airport expansion discussion
Gaona asked GAP to include INM areas in airport planning and modernization. His request focused on the space and support officers need to process arriving international passengers.
The issue comes as construction continues on Puerto Vallarta’s new airport terminal. The project was reported as 71 percent complete, with certification and other steps still pending before opening.
Recent airport coverage has also highlighted a mixed tourism recovery, with officials citing new routes, restored flight frequencies, and promotional efforts, while passenger numbers remain a subject of debate in the local tourism sector.
Immigration processing sits inside that larger airport file. Before travelers reach baggage claim, taxis, hotels, or rental cars, they pass through a federal checkpoint that relies on sufficient counters, rooms, and staff to handle arrivals.
INM says waits remain below the cited standard
Gaona said the current average wait for international passengers in Puerto Vallarta remains under 20 minutes. In his remarks, he cited an international standard of up to 40 minutes for processing a foreign traveler.
That gives the request a specific scope. INM is not saying the airport is failing today. The agency is asking for better conditions before growth makes it harder to maintain current service levels.
INM’s public information for Jalisco lists Puerto Vallarta as one of the locations designated for international transit by land, sea, and air. At international airports, the agency says its work includes reviewing passengers’ immigration documents.
Arrivals are part of the airport’s capacity problem
Gaona described immigration as one of the first official points of contact for many visitors in Mexico. Poor conditions at that stage, he said, can affect the image of the airport and the country.
The request places a specific item on the airport modernization agenda: improved INM facilities within Puerto Vallarta International Airport, while expansion work continues and international passenger processing remains under scrutiny.
