Mexico City International Airport

Mexico City International Airport, also called Benito Juárez International Airport, is the main airport serving Mexico City, the capital of Mexico. It is very busy, handling millions of passengers each year. In 2025, it was the busiest airport in Mexico, the third-busiest in Latin America, the 15th-busiest in North America, and the 50th-busiest in the world.

The airport is a major hub for Aeroméxico, Volaris, and Viva. It has two passenger terminals and two runways, and it is home to important aviation agencies and an Air Force base. Despite its busy schedule, the airport works hard to serve travelers from over 100 destinations across Mexico, the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.

History

Origins

The site known as Llanos de Balbuena has been used for flying since 1910. That year, Alberto Braniff made the first powered flight over Mexican soil, flying a French Voisin aircraft with a 50-horsepower engine. On November 30, 1911, President Francisco I. Madero became the world’s first head of state to fly in an airplane, piloted by Geo M. Dyott of Moisant International.

In 1915, the site opened as Balbuena Military Airport, equipped with five runways. A small civilian airport opened in 1928, with regular commercial service starting in 1929 and was officially inaugurated on May 15, 1931. On July 8, 1943, it was granted international status and launched its first international route to Los Angeles, operated by Mexicana de Aviación.

From 1949 to 1951, the airport expanded with a new runway (05R-23L), an apron, a control tower, and administration offices. President Miguel Alemán inaugurated a renovated passenger terminal on November 19, 1952. By 1956, the airport operated with four runways: 05L-23R (2,720 metres (8,920 ft)), 05R-23L (3,000 metres (9,800 ft)), featuring electric lights for night-time service; 13-31 (2,300 metres (7,500 ft)), built to replace Runway 14-32, which was too close to adjacent residential areas; and Runway 5 Auxiliary (759 metres (2,490 ft)).

On December 2, 1963, the airport's name was changed from "Aeropuerto Central" (Central Airport) to "Aeropuerto Internacional de la Ciudad de México" (Mexico City International Airport). In the 1970s, the two shortest runways (13/31 and 5 Auxiliary) were closed to facilitate the construction of a social housing complex in that area, named Unidad Fiviport. This left the airport with its current two-runway layout. The Mexico City Area Control Center (ACC) began operating on November 24, 1978, and remains in service.

Expansion and decentralization

The airport’s location in a densely populated area restricts infrastructure expansion. The proximity of the two parallel runways prevents fully independent simultaneous operations, limiting the airport’s capacity.

The terminal was expanded in 1980, doubling its capacity. In 1990, the terminal was reconfigured to separate domestic and international operations. On April 11, 1994, a new international section opened through a joint venture between Aeropuertos y Servicios Auxiliares (ASA) and Hakim Grupo Industrial.

In the 1990s, Mexicana began decentralizing operations to reduce congestion, shifting many flights to Guadalajara, Monterrey, and Mérida. In 1994, all general aviation operations were moved to Toluca International Airport, which became the new hub for private and non-commercial flights. Since then, general aviation has been prohibited, with only military, government, commercial, and authorized flights permitted. In 2001, a satellite concourse with eight gates was added east of the main terminal.

Congestion challenges

The congestion challenges at Mexico City Airport became a prominent issue in Mexican politics in the early 2000s. Large infrastructure projects, particularly in transportation, have historically played a crucial role in presidential legacies due to centralized decision-making, their symbolic significance for progress, and leaders' aspirations to leave a lasting impact.

In 2002, President Vicente Fox's administration proposed a new airport on a 5,000 hectares (12,000 acres) site in Atenco and Texcoco. However, the Atenco project faced significant local opposition, particularly from the Community Front in Defense of Land (Spanish: Frente del Pueblo en Defensa de La Tierra, FPDT), representing locals facing displacement. Violent clashes forced the cancellation of the project later that year.

Following the cancellation of the Atenco project, the federal government announced an extension to the existing terminal in 2003, increasing its annual capacity from 20 to 32 million passengers. The project added 48,000 square metres (520,000 sq ft) of new construction and renovated 42,000 square metres (450,000 sq ft), including new check-in areas, commercial zones, a departures concourse, and a long-distance bus terminal with direct access to nearby neighborhoods.

Throughout the 2000s and 2010s, political initiatives aimed at establishing nearby airports such as Puebla, Toluca, Cuernavaca, and Querétaro as supplementary options for serving the Mexico City Area were introduced. This initiative, known as the Metropolitan Airport System, aimed to reduce pressure on Mexico City International Airport.

Until 2007, a single terminal served all flights at Mexico City's airport. The airport was among a few globally to employ mobile lounges as a boarding system, a technology also used by airports such as Washington-Dulles, Montreal, New York-JFK, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, and Jeddah. This system involved elevated bus-like vehicles to transport passengers from gates to remote aircraft parking positions. Terminal 2 was inaugurated on November 15, 2007, and fully opened in March 2008. It increased the number of gates by 40% and overall capacity by 15%. Most SkyTeam members—except Air France and KLM—moved operations to the new terminal.

Replacement controversy

Main article: Mexico City Texcoco Airport

In 2014, aviation authorities declared Mexico City’s airspace saturated, capping operations at 61 per hour between 07:00 and 23:59. That year, President Peña Nieto’s administration launched the Texcoco Airport project. Positioned as Mexico's largest public infrastructure project in a century, it aimed to replace the aging Mexico City International Airport by 2023, featuring a state-of-the-art terminal of 560,000 square metres (6,000,000 sq ft) and six runways. However, López Obrador, then a presidential candidate, campaigned against the project, sparking political controversy.

Upon assuming the presidency, López Obrador's administration held a controversial public referendum on whether to cancel Texcoco. Despite criticism over its legality and transparency, the project was cancelled, and construction began on Felipe Ángeles International Airport at Santa Lucía, which opened in 2022. Intended as a secondary airport for Mexico City, it has struggled to attract airlines and passengers.

On July 23, 2020, Terminal 2’s Pier L extension opened, adding seven gates to reduce remote stand operations and bus transfers to aircraft. However, in 2022, a new saturation declaration reaffirmed the 61-operations-per-hour cap, effective 05:00–23:59 at Terminal 1 and 06:00–23:00 at Terminal 2, maintaining the 61 operations/hour limit. In 2023, the Mexican government attempted to decongest the airport by relocating all cargo flights to Felipe Ángeles Airport, citing safety and congestion concerns. In 2025, an MXN 8 billion (approx. USD 460 million) renovation began, scheduled for completion by mid-2026, aiming to improve operations and prepare for Mexico’s role in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Facilities

The airport is located in the Peñón de los Baños neighborhood within Venustiano Carranza, one of Mexico City’s sixteen boroughs, about 5 kilometers east of Downtown. It is surrounded by built-up areas on all sides.

The airport covers a large area of 747 hectares and has two runways very close to each other, which makes it hard for planes to land at the same time. The airport is high up, which can affect how planes fly. There are two main terminals, with many places for planes to park and get ready for their next trip.

There is also a special area for the Air Force right at the airport, and a center that helps control air traffic for many parts of Mexico.

Terminals

Terminal 1

Terminal 1 has been in use since 1952 and has grown over time. It is a long, two-story building with international flights in the east and domestic flights in the west. The lower level has places to pick up luggage, check-in areas for some airlines, and shops for snacks, banks, souvenirs, and car rentals. The upper level has check-in areas for international flights, places to eat, security checks, and a long row of gates for departures. It also has special rooms for travelers with extra services.

This terminal has special areas for important travelers and many hotels nearby. It is used by many airlines from Mexico, North America, Europe, Asia, and Latin America.

Terminal 2

Terminal 2 opened in 2007 and is mainly used by Aeroméxico. It has areas for arrivals, check-in, security, and places to shop and eat. There are special rooms for important travelers and a hotel inside the terminal. Some flights by Aeroméxico sometimes use Terminal 1 when Terminal 2 is very busy.

Inter-terminal transportation

The two terminals are about 3 kilometers apart. Travelers can take a bus or a special train called the Aerotrén to travel between them.

Terminal 3 (proposed)

Plans to build Terminal 3 were stopped during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The opening of another airport nearby in 2022 might also affect this airport.

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

The airport connects travelers to 44 cities within Mexico and 62 cities around the world, including places in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. Aeromexico has the most flights and destinations from this airport, serving 93 cities in total. Other major airlines flying here include United Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and Avianca Holdings. The airport also offers special flights called charter flights with carriers like Sunwing Airlines.

Some flights have stops along the way. For example, Aeromexico’s flight to Seoul stops in Monterrey, but the return trip from Seoul to Mexico City is direct. Similarly, flights from China Southern to Shenzhen stop in Tijuana, but only for certain routes.

Cargo

Until July 2023, 20 cargo airlines flew directly from Mexico City to places in Europe, the Americas, the Middle East, Africa, and East Asia. After that date, all cargo flights moved to Felipe Ángeles International Airport.

Destination maps

Statistics

In 2025, Mexico City International Airport had 44,605,800 passengers. This made it the busiest airport in Mexico and the third-busiest in Latin America. It was the top airport in Latin America from 2016 to 2023, but its share of travelers has gone down since another airport opened nearby. It is still the busiest airport in North America outside the United States. On an average day, more than 120,000 people travel through the airport.

Together with two other airports nearby, the Mexico City Airport System had 53,591,517 passengers in 2025, making it the second-busiest group of airports in Latin America and 34th in the world.

The airport also handled international travelers very well, serving 17,482,146 passengers from other countries. One of its flights, from Shenzhen to Mexico City by China Southern, was the 9th longest flight in the world in 2024, traveling 14,124 km.

With 313,467 airplane takeoffs and landings in 2025, it stayed busy as one of Mexico’s busiest airports. Even with only two runways, it is one of the busiest airports in the world with two runways.

The airport also helped with goods being moved around, handling 252,555.6 tons of cargo in 2025. It provides jobs for 35,000 people directly and affects another 15,000 jobs nearby.

Busiest routes

Ground transportation

Metrobús

Metrobús Line 4 offers a fast bus ride between both airport terminals and the Amajac Metrobús Line 4 station. Along the way, it stops at San Lázaro Metro Station, which connects to Metro Lines 1 and B. This station is also next to TAPO, the biggest long-distance bus station in Mexico City. TAPO has buses going to places in central, eastern, and southern Mexico.

You can find Metrobús stops at Entrance 7 of Terminal 1 and Entrance 2 of Terminal 2. You need a Metrobús Card to ride, which you can buy from machines at the stops. The ride to San Lázaro costs 30 Mexican Pesos, and the card costs 21 pesos. The buses run every day from early morning until midnight.

Metro Station

Terminal 1 has a nearby metro station called Terminal Aérea, which is on Mexico City Metro Line 5. You can walk to it from Entrance 1 of Terminal 1. This station is also served by a trolleybus line that goes toward El Rosario metro station.

Terminal 2 does not have a metro station right next to it, but it is only a short walk—about 800 metres—to Pantitlán metro station. This station has several metro lines and many local buses.

Long-distance Buses

In Terminal 1, there is a long-distance bus area called Terminal de Autobuses or Autobuses Foráneos. You can find ticket counters there, and platforms are reached by escalators. There is also a special area for the ADO bus company, called ADO Llegadas Nacionales, near the Hotel Camino Real. You can get there through a walkway from the domestic part of the airport.

In Terminal 2, the long-distance bus area is called Transportación Terrestre or Autobuses Foráneos, and it is on the ground floor near the arrivals hall.

Bus service to Felipe Angeles Airport

If you need to go to Felipe Ángeles International Airport, there are shuttle services from Terminal 1. These are run by ADO and Aeropuertos y Servicios Auxiliares.

Authorized taxis

You can find taxis at both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. There are two types of taxis: smaller cars for four people and larger vans for eight people. Only certain taxi groups are allowed to operate at the airport, and they are approved by the Mexican Department of Transportation (SCT).