The question usually comes up with a laptop open, a carrier’s route map on the screen and a week of vacation to protect: where exactly does the plane land, and who flies there from home? Belize has a single international gateway, Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport in Ladyville, and carriers from Miami, Atlanta, Houston and a handful of other cities fly into it.
Which airport do you fly into?
You fly into Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport, the only international airport in Belize, which sits in Ladyville, 10 miles from downtown Belize City. It is the airport the island hoppers and the resort towns all feed from, so even if your final stop is a caye or a lodge, the first landing is here.
The airport serves Belize City, the largest city of the country, on the eastern coast of Central America. Both the airport and the city sit barely above sea level, at an elevation of 16 feet, which puts them at risk of serious flooding. That is worth remembering when your trip falls in the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to November 30.
Getting from the airport to town
The airport lies in Ladyville, a drive of about 30 minutes from the center of Belize City. A paved access road was completed in mid-2020, running from the George Price Highway across the Belize River straight to the passenger terminal. Roadwork and dredging are underway on that road right now, which means slower traffic and uneven surfaces.
Drivers are asked to reduce speed, follow the flaggers and watch for dredging equipment and workers near the roadway. Anyone heading to or from a flight should leave extra time as a buffer. Taxis wait outside both Terminals 1 and 2 and run from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. daily.
The airport at a glance
The terminal opens at 6:00 a.m. and closes at 6:00 p.m., and services outside those hours are available on request. The airport is also the hub for Tropic Air and Maya Island Air, the two carriers that run domestic flights within Belize, so you will see small planes alongside the jets.
Two terminals share the work. Terminal 1 handles COPA, Sun Country, Transportes Aereos Guatemaltecos (TAG), Maya Island Air and Tropic Air. Terminal 2 handles Air Canada, Alaska Air, American, Delta, Southwest, United and Westjet. The single runway is 9,900 feet long, and the airport handled 1,229,000 passengers in 2024.
| Airport detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Name | Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport |
| Location | Ladyville, Belize District |
| Distance from downtown Belize City | 10 miles |
| Daily hours | 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. |
| Call center | +(501) 225-2045 |
| [email protected] | |
| Daily parking | US$2.00 |
| Overnight parking | US$9.00 |
Which airlines fly to Belize from the United States?
American, Delta and Southwest fly to Belize all year, from Miami, Atlanta and Houston, while Alaska Air and Sun Country add winter routes from Seattle and Minneapolis. United is also listed among the airlines working from Terminal 2. Air Canada comes down from Toronto in the cooler months, and Copa links Belize with Panama all year.
Year-round routes
American Airlines flies from Miami to Belize year-round, and it also serves the airport with flights to Charlotte, Dallas and Los Angeles. Delta flies from Atlanta all year, and it also lists Minneapolis among its destinations. Southwest flies from Houston all year and lists Denver as another destination.
These are the carriers that matter if your dates are fixed and fall outside the winter months. All three check in at Terminal 2. Copa Airlines, which flies from Panama City all year, works from Terminal 1 and suits travelers connecting from farther south or from other Latin American cities.
Seasonal routes
Winter brings extra choices. Alaska Air flies from Seattle from November through April, and Sun Country flies from Minneapolis from December through April. Air Canada flies from Toronto over the same stretch, December through April. For a trip in the dry season, that adds departure cities for travelers in the Pacific Northwest, the Upper Midwest and Canada.
Alaska Airlines also lists Los Angeles among its destinations from Belize. Sun Country checks in at Terminal 1, while Alaska and Air Canada use Terminal 2. Outside those months, these three routes are not part of the schedule listed for the airport.
| Airline | From | When |
|---|---|---|
| American Airlines | Miami | Year-round |
| Delta Airlines | Atlanta | Year-round |
| Southwest Airlines | Houston | Year-round |
| Copa Airlines | Panama | Year-round |
| Alaska Air | Seattle | November through April |
| Air Canada | Toronto | December through April |
| Sun Country Airlines | Minneapolis | December through April |
Regional flights from Belize
Tropic Air offers scheduled international flights from the airport to San Salvador, San Pedro Sula, Roatán and Cancún. The airport publishes a PDF of arrivals and departures that is updated throughout the year, and the October 2026 schedule can be downloaded from it. A route map on the airport’s site shows which airlines fly to Belize.
What do you do at the airport when you leave Belize?
You find your airline’s counter in Terminal 1 or Terminal 2, check in, and pay the departure fees that the airport lists. Check-in counters for all airlines are in those two terminals, and the list of who uses which is the one above, so Delta, American and Southwest passengers head to Terminal 2 while Copa and Sun Country passengers go to Terminal 1.
When to arrive
Passengers departing are expected to arrive at least 3 hours before the scheduled flight, and the airport encourages 3 to 4 hours. With roadwork and dredging underway on the access road, the drive out can run slower than usual, so the margin is useful on the way in as well as at the counter.
Taxis outside both terminals stop at that same hour. TSA PreCheck is not available at this airport, so plan for the standard lines.
Departure fees
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Passenger Service Fee | US$53.50 |
| Protected Areas Conservation Trust (PACT) Fee | US$20.00 |
The PACT fee supports the Protected Areas Conservation Trust, the body behind the reserves and parks you may have visited during the trip. If you are driving yourself to the airport, parking costs US$2.00 a day, and an overnight stay in the lot costs US$9.00.
If you leave something behind
Items left or found in the terminal building are turned over to the Security Office in Terminal 1. They are kept for 60 days before being donated or destroyed. The airport call center and the contact email, both listed in the table earlier, are the ways to reach the airport itself.
What do you need before you board?
U.S. citizens need a U.S. passport valid for the length of their stay, plus proof of an onward or return ticket. Tourists staying less than 30 days do not require a visa, and Belize does not require special immunizations for visitors.
Money and a place to sleep
Travelers must have sufficient funds to cover their entire stay. Non-resident passengers arriving at the airport must present at least US$60.00 per day for the duration of their stay. Immigration Officers also expect you to satisfy them of a specific address or hotel reservation, so have the name of your first night’s lodging ready.
The Belize Immigration Department sets these entry requirements, and the State Department’s travel pages repeat them for U.S. citizens. Have your return flight confirmation on hand along with your passport.
Customs forms
At the airport, one Customs Declaration Form may be filled out for family members traveling together where the children are under 18. Passengers over 18 need to complete their own form. Items that attract tax or duty may be paid for in cash, VISA and MASTER cards or certified cheques.
Crossing by land is a different case. If you enter Belize by land, different fees are charged depending on whether the stay is less than or more than 24 hours.
Good to know before you go
The U.S. State Department rates Belize Level 2, “Exercise increased caution”, because of crime, and says the south side of Belize City has historically had the highest concentration of violent crime.
Money matters are simple to plan around. The funds you show at arrival are counted in US dollars, and the departure fees are posted in US dollars too, so keep those amounts in mind when you budget the last day. Customs duty can be settled by card or certified cheque as well as in cash.
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, and the airport sits low on the coast. A trip in those months is worth planning with that calendar in mind, and the PDF schedule on the airport’s site is the place to see what is actually flying.
Sources
- Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport (Belize), Airlines flying to Belize (https://www.pgiabelize.com/passenger-info/airlines-flying-to-belize/), checked October 11, 2026
- Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport (Belize), Route map (https://www.pgiabelize.com/route-map/), checked October 11, 2026
- Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport (Belize), Quick facts (https://www.pgiabelize.com/passenger-info/quick-facts/), checked October 11, 2026
- Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport (Belize), FAQ (https://www.pgiabelize.com/about-us/faq/), checked October 11, 2026
- Wikipedia, Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_S._W._Goldson_International_Airport), checked October 11, 2026
- Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport (Belize), Arrival and departure (https://www.pgiabelize.com/arrival-departure/), checked October 11, 2026
- Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport (Belize), Passenger info (https://www.pgiabelize.com/passenger-info/), checked October 11, 2026
- Tropic Air, Belize International Airport (https://www.tropicair.com/belize-international-airport-bze/), checked October 11, 2026
- U.S. Department of State, Belize Travel Information, Entry and exit requirements (https://travel.state.gov/), checked October 11, 2026
- U.S. Department of State, Belize Travel Advisory, Level 2, March 11, 2026 (https://travel.state.gov/), checked October 11, 2026
- NOAA National Hurricane Center, Climatology (https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/climo/), checked October 11, 2026