I was in Guatemala in 09 and 2010 and I saw so much improvement on that airport. It's a nice and clean airport, nothing like the old one, very modern airport. Everything went smooth; good security personnel inside and out looking forward to return this year.

I had the experience of first visiting La Aurora airport before the recent expansion and then after. I think the airport has been vastly improved. The security seems comparable, if not better, than the TSA. Everyone I encountered during my visit through the airport were courteous and respectful. As a guest in their country, I was always made to feel welcome and look forward to return visits.

Airport security in Guatemala is what it is, because the USA has made so many enemies in the world, that now everyone is forced to provide security for flights into the USA, lest someone decides to do harm to you guys. Have you ever heard of the "Ugly American"? You paint with a wide brush, and decided that because someone kept your precious knitting hooks, the guy is a thief. The TSA is well documented for having people in their midst, stealing from suitcases. Same has been true for airport workers throughout the USA. No one calls all the people in the USA thieves or crooked because of this. People understand that there are a few individuals causing problems and not a whole nation. You do not want to go back to Guatemala? Fine. Stay home. Stop spreading your ignorance and your bad American behaviour. Plenty of people visit third world countries, and have the education and cultural awareness to know that things are not like in the USA - where anyway, they are not as good as you people seem to believe they are.

As a frequent business traveller, I have been over 100 countries. I did not have good experience with this airport. staff was rude and there was much line in security checking. The airport reflects how Guatemala is run poorly. if i were you, i would try to go to another country for vacation. They seem they don't need American dollars. Then, leave them without tourist's dollars.

We as a large group were flying out of Guatemala yesterday. My friend got through the security fine, she had crochet items also. Legal scissors, the kindergarten type. They stopped me for the same things. They wanted to take the scissors, I did not care about that, because they were dollar store scissors. Then they said they would have to take all of my crochet hooks, my friend is long gone and at the gate waiting for me. I said that they cost too much for them to toss out. So they said I had to go back and check the bag in.. So I stood in line for 30 minutes waiting to check another bag in. I nearly missed my flight. My bag went to LA and not to Miami. So I am now trying to find that bag, thanks to the rude, and I do believe thieves at the Guatemala airport. If one person can take crochet hooks through the airport security, then I should have been able to also. I guess it depends on which line you go through, and the person that wants the items in the bag or not. This experience has left a severe bad taste in my mouth about Guatemala, and its citizens. Perhaps the citizens in Guatemala should have the airport security more scrutinized, so more U.S. citizens will not leave there never wanting to go back. And word of mouth gets around. I will be telling everyone I know about the airport thieves. They will in turn spread that around. When a country decides the security officers can take anything they please, then the country will have to accept that many, many people will choose not to go there. Everything I had in my bag, was TSA legal. It got through 7 other airport securities, around the world, with no problems, just some security officers wanted my hooks, patterns, items I had crocheted, and were trying their hardest to get them. If you do not want to be a nation that has a reputation of being thieves, then my suggestion would be, to make sure the airport security officers are in line with the rest of the worlds TSA requirements, and not their own personal choices.