Airports in Mexico

Along with Del Norte International Airport, General Mariano Escobedo International Airport (MTY) is the major hub for traffic to and from Monterrey, in northeast Mexico. The airport has three modern terminals which, although small, process about 5 million passengers each year.

Monterrey is considered one of the cleanest and safest cities in Mexico, and the airport shares this reputation. The airport is frequented by a large number of Mexican business travellers and the modern facilities are kept in great shape.

While most of the airport’s traffic is domestic (coming from cities such as Mexico City, Cancun, Acapulco, Puerto Vallarta, Tijuana and Oaxaca), flights to General Mariano Escobedo Airport are available from several cities around the United States such as Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Detroit, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Miami.

Named after Mexico’s former president, Benito Juarez International Airport, also called Mexico City International Airport (MEX) is situated in the densely populated capital, Mexico City. It is the country’s busiest airport, serving approximately 24 million passengers per year, and once renovations are complete, it will be able to handle up to 32 million passengers per year.

In spite of developments, though, Mexico City International is far from being adequate for the huge number of travellers who use it each year. This is due to the fact that it is completely surrounded by buildings, making expansion of the airfield impossible. Long queues and delays are common occurrences, which is why many travellers use Toluca Airport as an alternative.

Fortunately, however, Mexico City International offers much in the way of amenities, including a wide selection of dining and retail establishments, as well as business and conference facilities, most of which are located in Terminal 2. Terminal 1, by contrast, is old and outdated and lacks sufficient signage and lighting.   

Just as sun-worshipping vacationers can’t get enough of Cancun, the airport never seems to stop growing. The close proximity of Cancun International Airport (CUN) to the most popular beach resorts in Mexico draws 12.4 million passengers through its gates each year, second only to the giant Mexico City International Airport in terms of traffic.

Flights to Cancun Airport are plentiful, and you’ll have no trouble finding them from nearly any major airport, including London, Paris, New York, Madrid, Chicago, Miami, Frankfurt, Santiago de Chile, Lisbon and Amsterdam.

Because of the massive popularity of the beach resorts in Cancun, the airport is almost constantly overrun with tourists, especially in the peak summer and spring break seasons. Facilities and service in the airport are geared toward this crowd, so the airport is clean and efficient with all the modern comforts of home.

Guadalajara International Airport (GDL), also referred to as Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla International Airport, is situated 10 miles (16 km) south of the city centre of bustling Guadalajara. With almost 7 million passengers in 2010, it is Mexico’s third-busiest airport. Flights to Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla International Airport come in from Mexico and the US.

In 2007 the airport underwent major expansion and renovation, including the construction of an additional terminal concourse, four new taxiways and a multi-level parking complex; all of which have doubled the airport’s handling capacity and improved operations on all levels. Long queues are still common, but developments are set to resolve the issue.  

Guadalajara International is a relatively efficient airport with friendly and helpful staff and, with renovations taking place, it’s going from strength to strength. Travellers may look forward to seeing it compete with top international airports in the not-too-distant future.