San Miguel Airport: Pros and Cons for Expats, Locals and Investors
🕒 9 min read | 📅 Published August 28, 2025 | ✍️ By Steve L.
San Miguel de Allende — a UNESCO World Heritage city celebrated for its colonial charm, thriving arts scene, and international community — may be on the brink of a major shift. The possibility of a new airport has sparked both excitement and apprehension. Supporters see faster travel, economic growth, and new opportunities; critics worry about environmental strain, heritage risks, and over-tourism.
TL:DR - Key Takeaways
📌 At a Glance: San Miguel de Allende is being considered for a new regional airport under Mexico’s 2025–2030 infrastructure plan. Supporters see economic growth and easier travel, while critics warn about environmental and cultural impacts. The project is still in study phase with no confirmed funding.
San Miguel’s Proposed Airport: Boon or Bane for the Community?
At the center of the debate is Mexico’s historic investment in aviation infrastructure: MX$134 billion (US$7.1 billion) to modernize 62 airports between 2025 and 2030, creating more than 200,000 jobs and accommodating 32 million additional passengers by 2030. As part of this plan, the federal government confirmed five new regional airports — in Baja California, Guanajuato, Jalisco, and Quintana Roo — with Guanajuato proposing San Miguel de Allende as one of the contenders.
So, will San Miguel truly get an airport, and what would it mean for locals, expats, and investors? Let’s explore both sides.
Mexico’s Big Bet on Airports
The federal government is betting big on connectivity. Alongside upgrades in major hubs like Mexico City, Cancún, and Guadalajara, Mexico’s Airports and Auxiliary Services agency (ASA) is pushing for regional hubs that bring prosperity to mid-sized cities. Carlos Merino, ASA’s director, explained the goal: “to create regional development hubs and spur economic growth through better air links.”
💡 San Miguel hosts more than 800 destination weddings every year, generating an estimated MX$3 billion pesos for the local economy.
For Guanajuato, the case is strong. San Miguel’s rising profile — recently crowned “Best City in the World” by Travel + Leisure — aligns with the state government’s July 2025 request for federal approval to build a regional airport. If approved, San Miguel could join a new generation of towns with direct international reach.
San Miguel: A Tourism Powerhouse
Tourism is San Miguel’s economic lifeblood. In 2023, the city welcomed more than 2 million visitors, generating an estimated MX$5.5 billion, with 85% of the local economy tied to tourism. Destination weddings alone bring in MX$3 billion annually from more than 800 ceremonies each year.
Currently, travelers fly into León’s Bajío International (BJX) or Querétaro (QRO), both requiring a 1.5–3 hour drive. A small aerodrome once existed on San Miguel’s outskirts, but with its 1,515-meter runway and limited facilities, it closed in the 2010s amid political disputes. Expansion proved unfeasible due to land and environmental constraints.
This backdrop explains why city leaders — including Mayor Mauricio Trejo, who has promoted partnerships with Aspen, Colorado, and The Woodlands, Texas — believe an airport could cement San Miguel’s global status.
Potential Benefits
Supporters see several key advantages:
- Enhanced Connectivity: A local airport would eliminate the long drives from BJX or QRO. ASA envisions a small international/regional terminal handling private jets and 48-seat regional planes, connecting San Miguel directly to hubs like Mexico City, Monterrey, Houston, or Los Cabos.
- Tourism Growth: Easing the travel bottleneck could boost visitor numbers and spending. Tourism officials highlight San Miguel as Guanajuato’s top international leisure destination. An airport could expand weddings, conferences, and high-spending tourism — exactly the sectors the federal government wants to grow.
- Job Creation: Construction and operations could generate hundreds of direct and indirect jobs. A similar small airport in Creel, Chihuahua, employs 23 direct and 25 indirect staff initially, with potential growth as flights scale.
- Regional Development: Surrounding towns like Dolores Hidalgo and Mineral de Pozos could benefit as travelers explore beyond San Miguel. Officials see the airport as part of a hub strategy to diversify regional economies.
- Expat Advantage: For international residents, direct flights would mean easier family visits and smoother business travel. Property values often rise near new infrastructure, potentially benefiting homeowners and investors
Risks and Concerns
Critics, however, raise serious concerns:
- Environmental Impact: Building an airport requires 500–1,000 hectares of land. Local environmental groups (at least 12) warn of habitat loss, water strain in a semi-arid region, and increased noise and carbon emissions.
- Heritage at Risk: San Miguel’s UNESCO designation depends on preserving its colonial character. Residents fear aircraft noise disrupting the Parroquia’s bell chimes and overcrowding straining infrastructure. Over-tourism already challenges the town in peak seasons.
- Economic Trade-offs: Who benefits most? Critics suggest it may favor developers and high-end tourism while everyday residents face higher prices and congestion. Examples like Palenque’s underused airport illustrate the risk of white elephants.
- Uncertainty: As of mid-2025, no federal funds have been released, and coordination has stalled. Land disputes or ejido conflicts could mirror delays seen in Creel, where Indigenous communities halted construction until a MX$65 million compensation deal was reached.
In short, skeptics warn the airport could “kill the goose that lays the golden eggs” — San Miguel’s cultural charm.
Where Could It Go?
Feasibility studies funded by the Infrastructure and Transport Ministry (SICT) in 2024 analyzed soil, terrain, and meteorology. ASA requires up to 1,000 hectares, favoring flat plateaus outside dense neighborhoods, possibly along the Querétaro or Dolores Hidalgo corridors.
One option is to expand the San Julián aerodrome, but it faces land constraints. If no suitable site is found, the project may be reconsidered. Still, state officials remain optimistic a workable location will emerge.
Lessons from Creel, Chihuahua
Creel — a Pueblo Mágico in the Sierra Tarahumara — offers a cautionary tale. Announced in 2010, its airport faced injunctions from Rarámuri communities and was delayed until compensation agreements in 2016. It finally opened in 2024, 14 years later, at an additional MX$30 million cost.
Today, Creel’s airport supports private planes and air taxis but lacks regular commercial flights. The “build it and they will come” model has proven risky.
Lessons for San Miguel:
- Community buy-in is crucial.
- Timelines can stretch over a decade.
- Airports may start small, with gradual growth.
- Costs must be weighed carefully against benefits.
Local & Expat Perspectives
Locals
For many business owners, hoteliers, and tour operators, an airport promises growth. More flights mean more customers for galleries, restaurants, and event planners. Guanajuato’s Tourism Council has championed the project as a way to sustain record visitor numbers.
Yet farmers and landowners near proposed sites fear expropriation or disruption to water supplies. Heritage-conscious residents worry San Miguel could lose its charm if overrun by mass tourism. Local investors with a long-term outlook call for responsible development — pairing new infrastructure with zoning controls, cultural preservation funds, and sustainable practices.
Expats
For San Miguel’s large expatriate community, convenience is the headline. Shorter trips to family abroad, easier visits for friends, and higher property values all appeal. But many also voice concerns: noise, overcrowding, and the risk of turning San Miguel into another overbuilt resort town.
Expats are active in NGOs and civic groups, meaning they will shape the debate. Some will advocate for eco-friendly design and community consultation; others may push back against the project entirely.
Shared Ground
Despite differences, both locals and expats want San Miguel’s identity preserved. The consensus: if an airport comes, it must be modest, sustainable, and designed with community benefit in mind.
Conclusion: Cautious Progress Ahead
For now, San Miguel’s airport remains a proposal. Studies are underway, officials are debating, but no bulldozers are on site. The key questions are not just if an airport will be built, but what kind of airport, on whose terms, and at what cost.
From a Bajio Homes perspective, the issue embodies the balance we champion: growth that respects ecology, heritage, and community. If the airport proceeds, it could reshape real estate values and connectivity in the region. If it stalls, San Miguel will continue thriving as it has — albeit with longer drives from León or Querétaro.
San Miguel has always been a meeting point of worlds — Indigenous and Spanish, Mexican and foreign. Perhaps it can also find harmony between tradition and modernity. Whether planes land here in five years or not at all, the community’s voice will determine the future.