Logistics, Ports and Aviation in El Salvador
Ports
- Acajutla, Sonsonate: the main Pacific port, for containers, bulk and liquid cargo. Since December 2024 it has been run by Unión Portuaria del Pacífico under a 50-year agreement. Waiting time for container ships fell to under 24 hours in 2026, from about 12 days. INVEST gives a sea transit of about six days to Long Beach.
- La Unión, on the Gulf of Fonseca: run by the same operator. It received more than 70 ships in 2025.
Source: CEPA: Acajutla port grows 11.20% in cargo during 2025; El Salvador.com: Acajutla grows 11.2% and modernises; Diario El Mundo: Acajutla cuts ship waiting time to 24 hours; Infobae: La Unión port raises its operations by 30%; INVEST: investor guide El Salvador 2025 (PDF, in Spanish)1,2,5,6,10
Airports and air cargo
The international airport San Óscar Arnulfo Romero, in San Luis Talpa, La Paz, registered more than 51,000 aircraft movements in 2025, up 5%, and its cargo terminal handled more than 39.7 million kilograms. Aeroman and Avianca run aircraft maintenance operations at the airport.3,7
- AirCity: an airport free zone being built by Grupo Aristos, with USD 250 million planned; construction started in December 2025.
- Pacific Airport, La Unión: a new airport in the east, run by CEPA. The development bank CAF put progress above 60% in September 2026; the opening date is not confirmed.
Source: Diario El Mundo: construction of AirCity starts at the international airport, December 2025; El Salvador.com: Pacific Airport construction progress, according to CAF8,9
Logistics companies
INVEST names DHL Global Forwarding among the logistics investors, with about USD 50 million invested and more than 180 staff. Freight forwarders, customs brokers and bonded warehouses (DPA) serve free zone exporters, and road hauliers carry goods to Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. Transport services made up 9.9% of the USD 6,213.5 million of services El Salvador exported in 2025, according to SIECA.10,11
Frequently Asked Questions
How busy is the port of Acajutla?
Acajutla handled 11.20% more tonnage and 12.07% more containers (TEU) in 2025, under the operator Unión Portuaria del Pacífico, a company of the port authority CEPA and the Turkish group Yilport.
How many passengers use the international airport?
The international airport handled more than 5.2 million passengers in 2025, and international air cargo grew 10.7% to 39,784 tonnes.
How important is transport in services exports?
Transport made up 9.9% of El Salvador’s services exports in 2025.
Sources
- CEPA: Acajutla port grows 11.20% in cargo during 2025 (in Spanish)
- El Salvador.com: Acajutla grows 11.2% and modernises (in Spanish)
- CEPA: the international airport closes 2025 with growth (in Spanish)
- La Prensa Gráfica: air cargo grew 10.7% in El Salvador last year (in Spanish)
- Diario El Mundo: Acajutla cuts ship waiting time to 24 hours (in Spanish)
- Infobae: La Unión port raises its operations by 30% (in Spanish)
- INVEST: Investor’s Guide El Salvador 2024 (PDF)
- Diario El Mundo: construction of AirCity starts at the international airport, December 2025 (in Spanish)
- El Salvador.com: Pacific Airport construction progress, according to CAF (in Spanish)
- INVEST: investor guide El Salvador 2025 (PDF, in Spanish)
- Diario El Mundo: El Salvador is the third country in the region by services exports, SIECA (in Spanish)
Figures checked 9 November 2026. Prepared by InvestSalvador.com for general information. It is not investment, tax or legal advice; please confirm details with a qualified adviser before acting.
