Albrook / Marcos Gelabert Airport
Panama City (Albrook) — Panama City. 15 min to Panama City center.
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Panama City (Albrook) — Panama
Albrook is where Panama flies to itself. Opened in 1932 as a United States Army Air Corps field guarding the canal, handed over to Panama after the Torrijos–Carter treaties, and now sitting inside the city rather than beside it, Marcos A. Gelabert is one of the most conveniently placed general aviation airports anywhere in the Americas: 1.5 kilometres from the centre of Panama City.
Every domestic route in the country radiates from here — Bocas del Toro, Changuinola, David, Chitré, Pedasí, Contadora, the Guna Yala islands, the Darién airstrips — and it is the base for the country's charter fleet.
Runway 1,800 metres by 30 metres, asphalt, at 9 metres elevation. ICAO: MPMG. Coordinates: 8°58′24″N, 79°33′20″W. Operated by the Panamanian Civil Aviation Authority.
Eighteen hundred metres at near sea level, thirty metres wide, is a substantial runway for a general aviation field — meaningfully more capable than most of the domestic airports it feeds. Business turboprops and light jets operate here routinely, alongside the Cessna Caravan and Twin Otter fleet that serves Guna Yala and the Darién.
The name honours Marcos A. Gelabert; the field is universally called Albrook, after the former air base, which is also the name of the very large shopping centre and bus terminal next door. When arranging ground transport, specify the airport.
Albrook / Marcos Gelabert Airport — Getting there
Panama City's traffic is the argument. The transfer from Tocumen to the city runs 30 to 45 minutes on a good day and considerably longer at peak. Albrook is inside the city. For a traveller staying in Casco Viejo, Punta Paitilla or Costa del Este, a domestic charter from PAC removes an hour of road from the front of the day and another from the back.
The practical rule is the same one that applies in San José: arrive internationally at Tocumen, fly domestically from Albrook, unless a same-day international connection makes the cross-city transfer unavoidable.
The domestic network. PAC is the hub for essentially everything inside Panama that is not reachable by highway:
The Guna Yala connection deserves separate mention. The San Blas archipelago — several hundred islands under autonomous Guna administration on the Caribbean side — is served by a set of short airstrips reached almost exclusively by air from Albrook. Access requires coordination with Guna authorities, and it is one of the few places in the Americas where an indigenous nation controls its own entry.
| Bocas del Toro | ~60 min | — |
| David / Chiriquí | ~55 min | — |
| Changuinola | ~60 min | — |
| Contadora | ~20 min | — |
| Chitré | ~30 min | — |
| Río Hato | ~25 min | — |
| Santiago | ~35 min | — |
When to fly
Panama City's dry season, roughly mid-December to April, is the reliable window: trade winds, clear mornings, minimal disruption. The rainy season from May to mid-December brings heavy afternoon convection, with September to November wettest.
PAC itself handles weather well. The constraint is at the other end — the Guna Yala and Darién strips are visual, daylight-only fields where afternoon weather regularly closes operations. Morning departures from Albrook are the operational norm for the same reason they are everywhere else in this region.
Albrook / Marcos Gelabert Airport — Frequently asked questions
What is the runway length at Albrook (PAC)?
1,800 metres by 30 metres of asphalt, at 9 m elevation. ICAO: MPMG.
How far is Albrook from Panama City centre?
About 1.5 kilometres — a few minutes by road, against 24 kilometres for Tocumen.
Should I fly domestically from PAC or PTY?
PAC, wherever the schedule allows. It saves the cross-city transfer at both ends. PTY is the right choice only when a same-day international connection is involved.
What destinations does Albrook serve?
Bocas del Toro, Changuinola, David, Chitré, Santiago, Río Hato, Pedasí, Contadora and the Pearl Islands, plus the Guna Yala and Darién airstrips.
When did Albrook open?
1932, as a United States Army Air Corps field defending the canal. It passed to Panamanian control following the Torrijos–Carter treaties.
Is Albrook the same as the Albrook Mall?
No, though they adjoin. Specify the airport when arranging ground transport.