FBOs at Juan Manuel Galvez MHRO RTB

Airport security

San Pedro Sula sits within Cortés Department, which multiple government advisories identify as one of Honduras's highest-risk jurisdictions for kidnapping, armed robbery, extortion, and gang-related violence; the U.S. Department of State currently rates Honduras at Level 3 (Reconsider Travel), and the UK FCDO specifically cautions travelers to exercise extreme care at airports and bus stations in San Pedro Sula.

Elevated street crime affecting both locals and foreigners is well-documented, and attacks can occur at any time without warning, including in and around transit hubs.

Civil unrest in the form of protests, roadblocks, and tire burnings occurs regularly and unpredictably in the city, with the potential to disrupt ground access routes to and from the airport.

Ramón Villeda Morales International Airport is Honduras's primary northern hub serving scheduled international and domestic commercial operations, and as such falls under the regulatory oversight of the Agencia Hondureña de Aeronáutica Civil (AHAC), which is responsible for implementing security standards aligned with ICAO Annex 17.

No publicly available airport-specific security classification, audit result, or access control tier for this facility was found in official sources; for an international commercial airport of this type in Honduras, baseline expectations include state-mandated passenger and baggage screening, perimeter access controls, and coordination with national security services, though official assessments of resource adequacy and enforcement consistency are not publicly disclosed.

Travelers should treat the landside and curbside areas of the terminal as elevated-risk zones consistent with the broader city environment.

Customs, immigration and regulatory

• Hours: H24 — customs offices are located within the terminal building and operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week Airport of entry for international arrivals
• immigration pre-check (prechequeo) is no longer mandatory for most nationalities as of December 2023 except Nicaraguan nationals
• yellow fever vaccination certificate required for passengers arriving from or transiting through infected-area countries as designated by the WHO
• currency declarations required for amounts exceeding USD 10,000

Ground corridor

• San Pedro Sula presents a HIGH ground transport risk environment driven primarily by organised gang activity, express kidnapping, armed robbery, and carjacking — particularly along corridors between the airport and the urban core
• the airport access route (CA-13 / Boulevard a La Lima) and the broader CA-5 highway corridor have a documented pattern of vehicle-targeted opportunistic and organised crime, including incidents against vehicles transporting arriving passengers. Street-hailed and unvetted transport from the airport is strongly inadvisable
• only pre-arranged vehicles with vetted professional drivers coordinated through a verified ground support team or reputable accommodation should be used, with airport-badged official transport being the minimum acceptable standard for unaccompanied travel. A national state of exception (emergency) affecting over 100 municipalities has been in force since December 2022 and remains extended into 2026, imposing movement restrictions and checkpoint activity that may affect transit times. Night movement in the San Pedro Sula urban area should be avoided entirely
• the Chamelecón and Rivera Hernández sectors carry the highest intra-city risk and must not be transited.

City threat summary

San Pedro Sula sits within Cortés Department, which multiple government advisories identify as one of Honduras's highest-risk jurisdictions for kidnapping, armed robbery, extortion, and gang-related violence; the U.S. Department of State currently rates Honduras at Level 3 (Reconsider Travel), and the UK FCDO specifically cautions travelers to exercise extreme care at airports and bus stations in San Pedro Sula.

Elevated street crime affecting both locals and foreigners is well-documented, and attacks can occur at any time without warning, including in and around transit hubs.

Civil unrest in the form of protests, roadblocks, and tire burnings occurs regularly and unpredictably in the city, with the potential to disrupt ground access routes to and from the airport.

Country overview

Honduras remains a high-threat environment driven by pervasive violent crime, gang activity, and narcotics trafficking, with the U.S. State Department maintaining a Level 3 Reconsider Travel advisory and a Level 4 Do Not Travel designation for Gracias a Dios Department.

The country is in a fragile post-electoral transition following the contested November 2025 elections and the January 2026 inauguration of President Nasry Asfura, with deep institutional distrust and ongoing governance challenges.

Civil unrest, including roadblocks, tire burnings, and protests, occurs regularly and can disrupt movement without warning across multiple departments.

Higher-risk locations nearby

• San Pedro Sula MHLM HIGH
• Tegucigalpa MHTG HIGH