San Diego International Airport

San Diego International Airport (IATA: SAN, ICAO: KSAN, FAA LID: SAN) is the main international airport for San Diego and the areas around it, in the state of California. It is found about three miles northwest of downtown San Diego. This airport is special because it has just one runway but is the busiest one-runway airport in the United States. It covers 663 acres of land and is a center for Alaska Airlines.

The airport is owned and run by the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority. Flights land in controlled airspace managed by Southern California TRACON. Landing can be tricky sometimes because the airport is close to tall buildings in downtown San Diego. Pilots must carefully manage a short landing space, a steep drop over Bankers Hill, and changing winds just before touching down.

History

Origins

Before the airport was built, the area was part of the San Diego River delta, which flowed into San Diego Bay. Later, the river was moved to empty into the Pacific Ocean west of Mission Bay.

The airport is close to where the Ryan Aeronautical Company made the Spirit of St. Louis airplane for Charles Lindbergh's famous 1927 flight across the Atlantic. The city of San Diego decided to build an airport in 1928, inspired by Lindbergh's flight. It opened on August 16, 1928, as San Diego Municipal Airport – Lindbergh Field, with many airplanes flying overhead to celebrate.

The airport was the first in the United States to welcome all kinds of airplanes, including seaplanes. It also helped test early gliders and set records for women pilots. In 1930, it began carrying mail between San Diego and Los Angeles and became an international airport in 1934.

Jet age

In 1949, Pacific Southwest Airlines started flying from the airport. The first jet planes flew there in 1960, and by the 1970s, the airport had new terminals. For a while, there were no international flights, but in 1988, the first flight to London began, though it stopped again in 1990.

Relocation proposals

For many years, people thought about moving the airport to a new place. Different spots were suggested, but each idea had problems, like cost or interference with military airplanes. In 2006, people voted against moving the airport to a place used by the military because it might hurt the local economy.

Modern expansion

In the 2000s, the airport got bigger and better. A big project called "The Green Build" added new gates and roads to Terminal 2. A large car rental building opened in 2016, and a new parking structure was finished in 2018.

Because many international travelers were arriving, a new area for international passengers was built in Terminal 2 West and finished in 2018.

Construction began on a completely new Terminal 1 in 2021. The first part of this new terminal opened on September 22, 2025, with 19 gates. The old Terminal 1 will be torn down and replaced in the next few years. A new administration building for the airport also opened in December 2023.

Facilities

San Diego International Airport has two terminals with 50 gates in total. Terminal 1 currently uses 19 gates, with plans to add more by 2028. Terminal 2 has two parts: the older East side with 12 gates and the newer West side with 19 gates, including a special area for international flights.

The airport has one runway, numbered 09/27. It is made of asphalt and concrete and is 9,401 feet long and 200 feet wide. Most flights use Runway 27 because the wind usually blows from the west, but sometimes they switch to Runway 9 when the wind changes or when clouds are too low.

The airport is connected by several ways to get around. You can take buses, taxis, ride-shares, or even rent a car. There are also special buses that go to and from Old Town and the train stations.

Airlines and destinations

As of May 2026, San Diego International Airport offers non-stop passenger flights to 87 different places. This includes 11 international destinations across 7 countries.

Statistics

San Diego International Airport has some important statistics about where people fly from and to, which airlines are most popular, and how many passengers travel each year.