Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico - Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico (GAP) will begin constructing a new terminal building at the Puerto Vallarta International Airport in early 2020 that will increase the facility's capacity for arriving planes and passengers by almost 50 percent.

The new terminal will span more than 115,000 square feet and include new jetways and security lines, according to Raul Revuelta, the general director of GAP. "Currently, the Gustavo Díaz International Airport has a capacity for 20 aircraft, but the new terminal will add 8 or 9 more slots, without the need to create a new runway," he added.

The airport's administrator, Gustavo Saúl Sanabria Gibert, said that the expansion is expected to be completed by 2024. "This completely new terminal building will better serve all of the airlines, with more room for arrivals and departures, as well as an improved customs area to enhance passengers' travel experiences," he explained.

In addition, he assured that GAP has already been working on the adequacy of the airport's current facilities, from fixing leaks and faults in the drainage, to improving the existing customs area (which is the one that receives the most complaints and still needs more work), and adding a new International VIP Lounge and free WiFi throughout the airport.

"Over the past 6 years, GAP has invested over 360 million pesos in renovations, in preparation for the airport's continued growth," Sanabria Gibert said. In 2018, the Puerto Vallarta International Airport received about 4.76 million travelers, (a 5.3% percent increase over 2017), and that number is expected to exceed 5 million in 2019.