Mexico is a country located in the southern portion of North America. The country is famous for its vibrant culture, ancient history, and beautiful nature with beaches. Besides, it is also known for its delicious Mexican dishes, and food.
If your next destination is Mexico, it is good to know that there are more than 200 airports in Mexico including domestic, and international airports serving flights to various destinations across the globe.
The 10 major international airports in Mexico are Mexico City International Airport, Cancun International Airport, Guadalajara International Airport, Tijuana International Airport, Monterrey International Airport, Los Cabos International Airport, Puerto Vallarta International Airport, Del Bajio International Airport, Merida International Airport, and Culiacan International Airport.
In this blog, we will explore the top 5 international airports in Mexico which are located in and around Mexico City (the capital).
Explore all international airports in Mexico
As we discussed above, there are over 200 airports in Mexico that serve flights to various domestic, and international destinations.
Let’s explore the top 5 busiest international airports in Mexico with airport details, technical information, airlines & destinations, and more.
Mexico City International Airport (ICAO: MMMX, IATA: MEX)
Mexico City Int’l Airport (MEX) is the biggest international airport in Mexico that is owned by the Secretariat of Infrastructure, Communications, and Transportation, and operated by Grupo Aeroportuario de la Ciudad de Mexico. It is situated at an elevation of 7,316 ft (2,230 m) above mean sea level (AMSL), and serves Greater Mexico City.
MEX airport is the primary hub for Aeromar, Aeromexico, and Aeromexico Connect. Likewise, it is also the focus city for VivaAerobus, and Volaris.
MEX Runway Information
Mexico City Int’l features two asphalt runways with the designation Rwy 05R/23L, and Rwy 05L/23R.
| RUNWAY DESIGNATION | LENGTH | SURFACE |
| Rwy 05R/23L | 3,900 m (12,795 ft) | Asphalt |
| Rwy 05L/23R | 3,952 m (12,966 ft) | Asphalt |
MEX Terminal Facility
MEX airport is equipped with two passenger terminals (Terminal 1, and Terminal 2). These two terminals are separated by the two runways. All facilities, and amenities including check-in, security clearance, baggage claim, food, retail services, parking, and so on are available at the terminals.
Airlines, and Destinations
There are more than 20 commercial passenger airlines (including domestic, and international carriers) that operate flights to and from Mexico City. Besides, there are 20 cargo airlines operating regular cargo flights in, and out of the city.
The major airlines operating at MEX are Aeromar, Aeromexico, Aeromexico Connect, Interjet, VivaAerobus, Volaris, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Air France, and Iberia Airlines.
Talking about the destination, the airport covers almost all domestic routes, and major international routes.
The busiest domestic routes include Cancun, Monterrey, Guadalajara, Tijuana, Merida, San Jose del Cabo, Puerto Vallarta, Hermosillo, Tuxtla, and Chihuahua. Likewise, the top international routes are Los Angeles, Miami, Houston-Intercontinental, New York–JFK, Dallas/Fort Worth, Chicago–O’Hare, Madrid, Bogota, Atlanta, and Paris–Charles de Gaulle.
Cancun International Airport (ICAO: MMUN, IATA: CUN)
Cancun Int’l Airport (CUN) is the second busiest airport in Mexico that is owned and operated by Grupo Aeroportuario del Suresto. The airport sits at an elevation of 20 ft (6 m) above mean sea level (AMSL), and serves Cancun.
CUN is a primary hub for MAYAir, and also the focus city for VivaAerobus, and Volaris.
CUN Runway Information
Cancun Int’l Airport features two asphalt parallel runways with the designations Rwy 12R/30L, and Rwy 12L/30R.
| RUNWAY DESIGNATION | LENGTH | SURFACE |
| Rwy 12R/30L | 11,493 ft (3,500 m) | Asphalt |
| Rwy 12L/30R | 9,186 ft (2,800 m) | Asphalt |
CUN Terminal Facility
Cancun Airport is equipped with four passenger terminals: Terminal 1, Terminal 2, Terminal 3, and Terminal 4. There are 7 gates in Terminal 1, 22 gates in Terminal 2, 21 gates in Terminal 3, and 12 gates in Terminal 4.
The facilities, services, and amenities including check-in, security clearance, baggage claim, food, parking, lounge, and so on are available at the terminal.
Airlines, and Destinations
More than 60 airlines including domestic, and international carriers operate at Cancun Aiport connecting various domestic, and international routes.
The top airlines operating regular commercial flights to and from CUN are Aeromexico, VivaAerobus, Volaris, American Airlines, Frontier Airlines, Spirit Airlines, Sun Country Airlines, United Airlines, JetBlue, Alaska Airlines, and Magni.
The busiest domestic, and international routes at Cancun include Mexico City, Monterrey, Guadalajara, Dallas, Houston, Chicago–Illinois, Denver, Panama City, Atlanta, Miami, New York, Los Angeles, Newark, Charlotte, Fort Lauderdale, Leon, Philadelphia, Detroit, Baltimore, and Orlando.
Guadalajara International Airport (ICAO: MMGL, IATA: GDL)
Guadalajara Int’l Airport (GDL) is the third-busiest airport in Mexico that is also owned, and operated by Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico. The airport sits at an elevation of 1,529 m (5,016 ft) above mean sea level (AMSL), and serves Guadalajara.
GDL is a hub for Aeromexico, and Volaris, and also the focus city for VivaAerobus.
GDL Runway Information
Guadalajara Int’l Airport features three asphalt runways with designations Rwy 11R/29L, Rwy 11L/29R, and Rwy 02/20. Runway 11L/29R is currently under construction while the other two runways are operational.
| RUNWAY DESIGNATION | LENGTH | SURFACE |
| Rwy 11R/29L | 4,000 m (13,123 ft) | Asphalt |
| Rwy 02/20 | 1,818 m (5,964 ft) | Asphalt |
| Rwy 11L/29R (under construction) | 3,538 m (11,608 ft) | Asphalt |
GDL Terminal Facility
Guadalajara Airport is equipped with two terminals; one for passengers and the other for cargo flights. Terminal 1 is the passenger terminal that accommodates five Concourses (A, B, C, D, and E), and 12 jetways. All commercial passenger airlines operate domestic, and international flights from Terminal 1.
The Cargo Terminal is used by the cargo airlines for all cargo operations.
Airlines, and Destinations
There are 16 commercial passenger airlines, and 18 cargo airlines operating at GDL Airport. Aeromar, Aeromexico, Aeromexico Connect, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, American Eagle, Calafia Airlines, Copa Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, Magnicharters, TAR Aerolineas, United Airlines, United Express, VivaAerobus, and Volaris are the passenger airlines connecting GDL to various domestic, and international routes.
The busiest domestic destinations from GDL are Mexico City, Tijuana, Quintana Roo, Nuevo Leon, Mexicali, Los Cabos, Sonora, Chihuahua, Sinaloa, and La Paz. The top international routes include Los Angeles, Chicago–Midway, Houston, Dallas/Fort Worth, Sacramento, Fresno, San Jose, Phoenix–Sky Harbor, Oakland, and Las Vegas.
Tijuana International Airport (ICAO: MMTJ, IATA: TIJ)
Tijuana Int’l Airport (TIJ) is the fourth-busiest airport in Mexico situated at an elevation of 489 ft (149 m) above mean sea level (AMSL). The airport serves Tijuana–San Diego, and is a primary hub for Volaris.
TIJ Runway Information
Tijuana Airport features a single asphalt runway with the designation Rwy 09/27. The length of the runway is 2,960 m (9,711 ft) above mean sea level (AMSL).
| RUNWAY DESIGNATION | LENGTH | SURFACE |
| Rwy 09/27 | 2,960 m (9,711 ft) | Asphalt |
TIJ Terminal Facility
TIJ Airport is equipped with two terminals which are the Main Terminal, and Cross Border Terminal. All flights to and from the airport are handled from the Main Terminal. The Cross Border Terminal connects Tijuana Airport in Mexico to the Cross Border Terminal in San Diego, United States.
Airlines, and Destinations
There are five major airlines operating at Tijuana Airport including Aeromexico, Calafia Airlines, Magnicharters, VivaAerobus, and Volaris. Likewise, five cargo airlines including Aeronaves TSM, Ameriflight, Estafeta, FedEx Express, and TUM AeroCarga operate regular cargo flights.
The busiest routes from TIJ are Mexico City, Guadalajara, Culiacan, Leon, Morelia, Monterrey, San Jose del Cabo, Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta, Aguascalientes, and Cancun.
Monterrey International Airport (ICAO: MMMY, IATA: MTY)
Monterrey Int’l Airport (MTY) is the fifth-busiest airport in Mexico that sits at an elevation of 1,280 ft (390 m) AMSL, and serves the Monterrey Metropolitan region. The airport is owned, and operated by Grupo Aeroportuario Centro Norte.
Monterrey Airport is the primary hub for Aeromexico, Magnicharters, and VivaAerobus while it is also the focus city for Volaris.
MTY Runway Information
Monterrey Int’l Airport features two asphalt runways with the designations Rwy 11/29, and Rwy 16/34.
| RUNWAY DESIGNATION | LENGTH | SURFACE |
| Rwy 11/29 | 3,000 m (9,843 ft) | Asphalt |
| Rwy 16/34 | 1,801 m (5,909 ft) | Asphalt |
MTY Terminal Facility
There are four terminals at MTY airport: Terminal A, Terminal B, Terminal C, and Air Cargo Terminal. Facilities, and services including baggage claim, check-in, security clearance, customs, airline offices, ticketing, shopping areas, restaurants, and others are available at all terminals.
Airlines, and Destinations
A total of 17 airlines operate passenger flights to and from Monterrey. Aeromar, Aeromexico, Aeromexico Connect, American Airlines, American Eagle, Arajet, Calafia Airlines, Copa Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, Magnicharters, Spirit Airlines, TAR, United Airlines, United Express, VivaAerobus, and Volaris are the airlines operating at MTY airport.
The 10 busiest domestic routes from MTY are Mexico City, Cancun, Guadalajara, Tijuana, Veracruz, Puerto Vallarta, Merida, Villahermosa, and Hermosillo. Likewise, Houston–Intercontinental, Dallas/Fort Worth, San Antonio, Atlanta, Las Vegas, Detroit, Los Angeles, Chicago–O’Hare, Miami, and New York–JFK are the top 10 international routes.
Conclusion on International Airports in Mexico
We explored the top 5 busiest international airports in Mexico that serve flights to various domestic and international destinations. The total number of airports in the country exceeds 200 including domestic, and international airports.
If you are planning to visit Mexico, you can choose to land at any of the international airports in the country. The top 5 airports we discussed above are located in close proximity to Mexico City. So, those airports could be best for you to reach the center of Mexico.
FAQs on International Airports in Mexico
How many international airports are in Mexico City?
Mexico City International Airport (MEX) is the only major international airport in Mexico City that serves flights to various domestic, and international destinations.
What’s the biggest airport in Mexico?
Mexico City International Airport (MEX) is the biggest airport in Mexico that handles the majority of domestic, and international traffic.
Which airport in Mexico receives the most international arrivals?
Cancun International Airport (CUN) handles the most international traffic in Mexico. As per the report for 2020-2021, CUN handled 13,237,113 international flights.
Does Mexico City have two airports?
Mexico City International Airport (MEX) is the main airport in Mexico City while Toluca International and Felipe Angeles International Airport are the alternative airports.
