San Diego Airport

San Diego Airport (also called Lindbergh Field) is the busiest single-runway commercial airport in the USA. It has approximately 600 departures & arrivals per day, transporting over 18 million passengers per year. The airport employs close to 5000 people and is served by 25 airlines which fly to 59 destinations. That being said, Lindbergh Field is modern, clean, and safe.


When booking flights, be aware that the 3 letter code for the San Diego airport is SAN (or KSAN if a 4-letter code is used). [Photo: mural with image of Charles Lindbergh, first man to fly nonstop across Atlantic Ocean]

There are 3 terminals in Lindbergh Field:

Commuter Terminal (see map)
has 4 gates numbered 1 through 4. Short trips up and down the California coast and into Midwest USA usually start from this terminal. If you happen to find yourself at the Commuter Terminal by mistake, don’t worry, the Red Bus will shuttle you to Terminal 1 or 2. Airlines departing and arriving to this terminal include:

Terminal 1 (see map)
has 19 gates numbered 1 through 19. Domestic flights within USA and Canada start and end here. Airlines serviced in Terminal 1 include:

Terminal 2 (see map)
has 21 gates numbered from 20 through 41. International flights all land in Terminal 2. Airlines entering Terminal 2 include:

What to Expect

Most flights arriving into San Diego International airport touchdown on the east side of the runway and roll towards the west. Because the airport is only 2 miles (3 km) from downtown San Diego, you will get a bird’s eye view of downtown San Diego with its many skyscrapers and interconnecting highways. [Photo by J Epler]

If you are on the left side of the airplane, you may see the Coronado Bridge (a signature landmark of San Diego). On the right side of the airplane, you may see Balboa Park (the biggest urban park within USA) and the world famous San Diego Zoo.

Flights arrive into Lindbergh Field 24 hours a day. However, because of noise restrictions, flights leave Lindbergh Field between 6:30am and 11:30pm. Flights departing outside of this time frame are subject to heavy fines.

After landing, follow the signs towards baggage claim where you will also find ground transportation. Because of security reasons, friends & family are not permitted to greet you as you disembark the airplane. They will wait for you at the baggage claim area. [Photo: baggage claim area]

• go to San Diego airport web site
• see up-to-date airport status information
• check the weather today
• choose ground transportation available to you
• find something fun to do in San Diego