Mexico City International Airport (MEX) (also known as Benito Juárez International Airport) is the busiest airport in Mexico and one of two main airports serving Mexico City . The airport is home to more than 25 airlines that operate flights across Mexico, Europe, Asia, and North and South America.
Hub for many Mexican carriers
MEX is the home of Aeromexico , the country's flag carrier, and functions as a SkyTeam Allliance hub overall. The airport has two terminals and two runways. Cargo activities also take place, but many are relocating to Felipe Angeles International Airport because MEX has been operating at full capacity since 2020.
Photo: GingChen | Shutterstock
While there are several foreign operators, the airport serves as a hub not just for Aeromexico but also for Aeromexico Connect, Volaris, Viva, Aerounion, and Mas Air. The airport is also a city of focus for Magnicharters.
Operating for over 93 years, Mexico City International Airport first commenced operations on May 15, 1931, and today serves as one of the busiest two-runway airports in the world, with an average of over 1,000 daily aircraft movements.
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The airport has long battled with congestion challenges, with various Mexican government officials providing suggestions for the airport's replacement or another option to operate alongside. Eventually, this saw Felipe Angeles International Airport open in 2022 and is the secondary airport now in operation for the city.
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Operators at MEX
Mexico City International Airport currently hosts these operators:
Aeromexico Aeromexico Connect Air Canada Air France All Nippon Airways American Airlines Avianca Avianca Costa Rica Avianca El Salvador British Airways China Southern Copa Airlines Delta Air Lines Close Emirates Hainan Airlines Iberia KLM LATAM LATAM Brasil LATAM Chile LATAM Peru
Lufthansa Close Magnicharters Turkish Airlines United Airlines Viva Volaris Volaris Costa Rica Volaris El Salvador
Getting to Mexico City International Airport
While Mexico City International Airport is easily accessible by car, if you are looking to start your travels to the airport by public transport, there are several options that you can choose from these include:
Metrobus
Mexico City Metrobus Line 4 provides direct express services from the airports Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. The bus connects the airport to the San Lazaro Metro Station, which is then served by the city's Metro lines 1, 9, and B. This station is adjacent to the TAPO (Terminal de Autobuses de Pasajeros de Oriente), the largest long-distance bus terminal in Mexico City. From here, passengers can board long-distance buses across Central, Eastern, and Southern Mexico.
If you are boarding the bus from Terminal 1, there is a dedicated Metrobus station at Terminal 1's Entrance 7, whereas at Terminal 2, this is at Entrance 2. Passengers can pay for their travel by using the Metrobus Card, which is available at the vending machines at each bus stop. The cost between the airport and San Lazaro is around 30 Mexican pesos ($1.47), or 21 ($1.03) pesos if you hold the Metrobus Card. Operations are from 05:00 to midnight.
Metro
Terminal 1 is part of the Terminal Aerea metro station, which is connected to Mexico City Metro Line 5. This runs from Pantitlán metro station to Politécnico metro station. Customers can access this via an open-air walkway, which starts at Entrance 1, and is also connected by Trolley Bus 4, which runs towards El Rosario Metro station. If traveling from Terminal 2, you must walk nearly 2,6000 feet to the Pantitlan Metro station, which is served by metro lines 1, 5, 9, A, and other bus services.
Long distance bus
Arriving or departing on long-distance buses is from Terminal 1. Known as Terminal de Autobuses or Autobuses Foráneos, the terminal is served by multiple bus companies. The station can be found in the international departures area of Terminal 1, on the top floor, near the food court. An elevated walkway leads out to the road, where ticket counters and platforms are available. For Terminal 2, the long-distance bus station is located near arrival hall Q.
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Long-distance buses operate to:
Puebla CAPU Puebla Paseo Destino Mexico City-Felipe Ángles Airport (AIFA) Toluca Tollocan Pachuca Querétaro Central, Querétaro 5 de Febrero, Celaya, San Juan del Río Cuernavaca Casino Córdoba, Orizaba, Veracruz Xalapa Oaxaca Acapulco Costera Toluca Tollocan Taxi
Several taxi companies also operate at Mexico City International Airport, offering a variety of vehicles, from small cars to large passenger vans. The Mexican Department of Transportation must authorize all taxis.
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Terminals at MEX
If you're planning a trip to Mexico City International Airport, make sure you have checked which terminal you are departing from. Here is a guide to the two different terminals at MEX:
Terminal 1
This terminal has been operational since 1958. With multiple renovations, the structure is now over 5.8 million square feet. The ground floor of the terminal has 22 baggage claim carousels and includes the domestic check-in area for Volaris, Viva Aerobus, and Magnicharters. There are also several snack kiosks, banks, and souvenir shops on this floor. Car rental is also available in the arrivals hall. On the top floor of the terminal are international check-in areas F1 - F3. Food courts, restaurants, and security checkpoints provide access to the departure concourse.
Photo: Daniel Martínez Garbuno | Simple Flying.
There are various VIP lounges, ranging from airlines to credit card partners. Within the terminal, hotels are also on hand for travelers who need to rest before an early morning flight or arrive late. Most major US chains have a presence here.
Terminal 2
The newest terminal at Mexico City International Airport inaugurated services with a new flight from Delta. The former president of Mexico, Felipe Calderon, opened the terminal on March 26, 2008; despite the request that all SkyTeam carriers move to the new terminal, Air France and KLM have remained in Terminal 1. All Aeromexico flights depart from Terminal 2, except when there are capacity constraints when some Aeromexico services opt for Terminal 1.
Three piers contain food courts, coffee shops, and gates. Terminal 2 also has several specialty partner lounges. Terminal 2 sees operations by Aeromexico, Aeromexico Connect, Copa, Delta, and the LATAM family of carriers.
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Interterminal transportation
For those needing to transfer between the two airport terminals, there is a shuttle bus located at Entrance 6 of Terminal 1 and Entrance 4 of Terminal 2. Otherwise, passengers who hold a boarding pass, along with cabin crew and technical staff, can use the Aerotren People Mover, which has the capacity to carry 7,800 people per day.
Photo: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock
There have been proposals for the airport to develop a third terminal. However, this was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is expected that demand for services will take some years to grow; however, the opening of Felipe Angeles International Airport has seen several services relocate to this airport:
Operators at Felipe Angeles Airport now include: Aeromexico Services to Cancun
Aeromexico Connect Serivces to Colima, Durango, Guadalajara, Houston-Intercontinental, McAllen, Mérida, Monterrey, Oaxaca, Puerto Vallarta, Tulum, Veracruz
Arajet Punta Cana, Santo Domingo-Las Américas
Conviasa Caracas
Copa Airlines Panama City-Tocumen (ending January 11)
GullivAir Charter services to Sofia
Magnicharters Cancun, charter operations to Havana
Photo: Ethiopian. Mexicana de Aviacion Acapulco, Campeche, Chetumal, Ciudad Victoria, Guadalajara, Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo, Ixtepec, Mazatlán, Mérida, Monterrey, Nuevo Laredo, Palenque, Puerto Vallarta, Tijuana, Tulum, Uruapan, Villahermosa
Viva Aerobus Acapulco, Bogotá, Cancún, Chetumal, Chihuahua, Ciudad Juárez, Ciudad Obregón Culiacán, Guadalajara, Hermosillo, Huatulco, Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo, La Paz (from May 22, 2025), León/Bajio, Matamoros, Mazatlán, Mérida, Monterrey, Nuevo Laredo, Oaxaca, Puerto Escondido, Puerto Vallarta, Reynosa, San José del Cabo, Tampico, Tijuana, Tulum, Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Villahermosa
Volaris Cancún, Ciudad Juárez, Culiacán, Guadalajara, La Paz, Mérida, San José del Cabo, Tijuana
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The airport has a robust cargo concrete apron, which can simultaneously adapt for up to six widebody aircraft. This was due to cargo operations needing to cease at Mexico City International Airport by a government decree by July 2023. Cargo operators at Felipe Angeles now include:
ABX Air, AeroUnion, Air Canada Cargo, Air France Cargo, Amerijet International, Atlas Air, Avianca Cargo, CAL Cargo Air Lines, Cargojet, Cargolux, Cargolux Italia, Cathay Cargo, China Southern Cargo, DHL Aviation, Emirates SkyCargo, Estafeta Air Cargo, Ethiopian Airlines Cargo, FedEx Express, LATAM Cargo Brasil, Lufthansa Cargo, Mas Air, MSC Air Cargo, National Airlines Cargo, Qatar Airways Cargo, Silk Way Airlines, Tianjin Air Cargo, Turkish Cargo, and UPS Airlines.
Felipe Angeles Airport is also home to the Mammoth Museum, Military Aviation Museum, and Historic Railcar and Cultural Historical Train Museum.