El Salvador’s ambitious Pacific International Airport project in Conchagua, La Unión, is drawing the attention of U.S. investors seeking opportunities in the country’s expanding infrastructure sector. The Autonomous Executive Port Commission (CEPA) has allocated $113.7 million for the development, as part of a broader $137.1 million investment plan outlined in the 2026 national budget proposal.

Of this total, CEPA will provide $14.88 million from its own resources, while $98.8 million will be financed through external loans, mainly from the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF). The budget also includes $23.3 million to upgrade the existing Ilopango and San Óscar Arnulfo Romero international airports.

President Nayib Bukele inaugurated construction in February 2025, with the first phase expected to open in the second half of 2027. This stage involves a $386.4 million investment—$320 million from CAF, $16.4 million from Spain’s FIEM fund, and $50 million in national funds—and will include a 2,400-meter runway, two boarding gates, and facilities to serve up to 300,000 passengers annually.

At the groundbreaking ceremony, Bukele emphasized that “each user will generate an economic spillover of $1,000, excluding airfare, translating into $300 million in annual revenue for the country.” According to the Ministry of Finance, CEPA had invested $38.57 million by August, reaching nearly a quarter of its 2025 implementation target.

With its strategic location near the Gulf of Fonseca and growing government support for public–private partnerships, the Pacific International Airport is poised to become a key logistics and tourism hub in Central America—an opportunity increasingly watched by U.S. investors and global aviation stakeholders.