Benito Juárez International Airport



Benito Juarez International Airport, most commonly known as Aeropuerto Internacional Ciudad de Mexico (AICM), is the busiest international airport in Mexico with annual passenger traffic of 46 million (2022). It is a hub airport for all Mexican flag carriers. The airport is located in Mexico City, just minutes from many tourist districts.

Understand
Most travellers arrive in Mexico City by air; and most often, that means they're arriving at Benito Juárez International Airport, located in the eastern part of the city.

Be aware that nobody but a few wiki editors call this airport "Benito Juarez". It's most commonly called "Mexico City International Airport" if you speak English, or "Aeropuerto Internacional Ciudad de Mexico" in Spanish (abbreviated AICM). The AICM designation is very common, and now that a new international airport has been built to the northeast side of the city, it's become even more commonly used, together with AIFA for the new airport. The new airport is "Aeropuerto Internacional Felipe Angeles" and while the locals often call it "Aeropuerto Santa Lucia", they always use the abbreviation "AIFA". Don't be confused if you see the abbreviations AICM and AIFA being used: they are common acronyms, not IATA or ICAO codes.

Mexican carriers are shifting some of their connections to the AIFA airport and online booking engines frequently show fares with flights arriving at one airport and departing the other. Be careful when booking if you want to keep things simple for yourself.

The AICM Mexico City airport has two terminals: Terminal 1 (for most international and domestic flights) and Terminal 2 (mostly used by SkyTeam partners: Aeromexico and Delta Air Lines).

Flights
There are frequent flights to and from most larger cities in the world, including Amsterdam Schiphol, Bogotá, Buenos Aires Ezeiza Airport, São Paulo, Santiago, Lima, London (Heathrow), Los Angeles International Airport, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Madrid Barajas Airport, Munich Airport, New York City (JFK), Frankfurt Airport, Chicago O'Hare, Toronto, Vancouver and Tokyo.

In addition to that there are shorter international flights to most Central American capitals, and domestic flights to almost all Mexican airports with any scheduled service.

The airport has two terminals in the southwestern end of the airport grounds at opposite sides of the runways. Within each terminal (the main buildings) it is further divided into large bay like rooms or halls referred to as sala or bahia on airport maps which contain airline check in desks in the departures (salidas) zone and baggage reclaim for arrivals (llegadas). In Terminal 1 all arrivals and domestic airline check in are at lower level (Salas A-E3) while international airline check in (Salas F1-F3, G) are at upper level towards northeastern end of the building. In Terminal 2 all arrivals and ground transportation are at lower level while the airline check in and departures are at the upper level. They are:
 * Terminal 1:
 * Sala A: National/domestic Arrivals (llegadas nacionales)
 * Sala B: Escalators up to security screening stations for domestic departures gates.
 * Sala C: Sala de Exposición/Exposition Hall. Shuttle bus to Terminal 2 outside Puerta (gate) 6.
 * Sala D: Magni Charters (at entrance 5) and Volaris (domestic)
 * Sala D1: VivaAerobús and Volaris (domestic), between Puertas 5 & 6
 * Sala E1-E3: International Arrivals and MetroBus Rt#4 outside Puerta 7 from between Salas D & E1.
 * Sala F1: All Nippon Airways (ANA), Air Canada, Air France, KLM, Lufthansa, United and Volaris (international)
 * Sala F2:
 * Sala F3: American, Avianca (which includes TACA and Lacsa), British Airways, Cubana, Emirates, JetBlue, Iberia, Southwest and Volaris (international)
 * Sala G: Security screening stations to access international departures gates; Elevator/lift to the Hilton Hotel Lobby and Food court (comidas rapidas).


 * Terminal 2:
 * Sala L1: Delta,  Nh Hotel access under the adjacent food court by international arrivals.  Metrobus stop outside gate #2.
 * Sala L2: Aeromexico, Aeromexico Connect,
 * Sala L3: Aeromexico, Copa Airlines, Wingo, LATAM (formerly LAN & TAM);  Aerotren to Terminal 1 and long distance buses at lower level next to domestic arrivals.

Arrival
Your airline might only let you board your flight to Mexico if you have a valid return ticket. Many airlines don’t care. Your carrier might not tell you this until you're just about to board. If you plan on, say, driving out of Mexico, or leaving on a cruise ship, make sure you check this out well in advance. One way around the problem is to buy a second full price refundable ticket that you don't intend to use and then get a refund as soon as you arrive (or before you leave, as long as you have the original paperwork to show at the jetway). In most major US airports, they'll sell you this 'token' ticket at the jetway. Airline staff in the boarding area help travellers with this problem every day. There are few ticket sales offices at Benito Juárez, so you might have to arrange your refund by phone. Make sure you'll have access to a phone that allows international calls. Get a refund number from the phone agent.

Benito Juárez International Airport has plenty of congestion problems, so the government implemented a regional transportation plan that calls for expanding service at the new mixed-use Santa Lucia (NLU) airport northeast of the city, and expanding access to the under-utilized Toluca airport (TLC) to the west of the city. Landing delays, long immigration lines, and long taxi times are quite common. Don't schedule very tight connections at the airport.

If you arrive on an international flight, you will go through immigration, luggage retrieval and then customs. If the immigration officer gives you an immigration form, keep it until you leave the country. If you lose or misplace it during the visit, you must visit the immigration office at the airport to fill out a new one and pay a possible (but rarely enforced) fine of M$440 (Mexican pesos).

There is a US$300 duty allowance that includes new clothing, tobacco and liquor. Mexican customs allow passengers to bring, duty free: a laptop, an MP3 player, a digital camera, a tripod, a video camera, and used clothing. Be careful with iPads, as they are sometimes considered laptops. If you have brought a laptop and an iPad, customs may consider this two laptops and refuse to allow entry with both.

After going through customs you will pick up your luggage, then pass through screening. You will press a button for a red or green light. The red means they will search you, the green means you can go. If you are taking a connecting flight to another location and the bags are already tagged for their final destination, you will drop them on a belt located to the right of the inspection tables. If tagged to Mexico City only, you will need to check in again with the airline. Foreign travellers using connecting flights from Mexico City are sometimes required to pass through customs again when they reach their final destination.

Just before passing out of the secure area into the arrivals hall, 'for your safety' your luggage will be x-rayed. At this stage, if you've exceeded the Baggage and Duty Free Allowance, the officers will charge duty on your excess possessions. For example if you have 3 expensive cameras, they'll charge duty on the 3rd camera. They're particularly zealous about electronic components they don't recognize. Be prepared for this unpleasantness. If possible have a receipt or packing list and depreciate the value shown as much as possible.

The entire process, from when the plane arrives to when you are done with customs, usually takes about an hour. However, at times the airport police will inspect at their discretion all the luggage (piece by piece) that comes off the airplanes and before it appears on the belt conveyors (they use dogs walking over the luggage). This police inspection itself may take around 2 hours or more before the luggage is dropped onto the belt conveyors for being picked up by passengers before passing customs. There is no airport information that can be sought in advance and any connecting flight that was to leave in up to 3 hours will be gone by the time you clear customs.

After completing customs, you will go through large doors to the waiting area for international arrivals. Be prepared to see a lot of people in this area. It is a custom for families to pick up their loved ones at the airport and the hall is rather small for a city of its size.

In a fine bit of job creation, you can't use an airport baggage trolley to push your own luggage through the arrivals hall in Terminal 1. Your trolley will be aggressively taken from you just outside the secure area. There are carriers who will offer to carry your luggage. This is a service authorized by the airport and is safe—they will be uniformed with white shirts, navy blue tie and dark blue pants and will carry a wheelie (or keep it nearby) with the union logo on it. There is no fixed price for this service, but M$15-25 should be fine, unless you are traveling in a group or have a lot of bags.

Ground transportation
To get to the city you have the choice of bus, Metro or taxi. There is a metro station in Terminal 1, and tickets are M$5 (Nov 2021). Large bags are not allowed in the Metro system. Taxis require you to get a tickets first and then stand in line. To go to other cities, go to the bus station in Terminal 1.

e-Hailing
Uber, Cabify and Didi are available from the airport.

Taxi
The airport has five companies providing licensed and secure taxis, including Porto Taxi, Sitio 300 and Taxis Nueva Imagen. You should buy a ticket in the marked counters inside the airport. You can compare prices to your destination at each but they are quite similar. You can ask one of the wheelie guys who will take you and your luggage to the taxi counter for Taxi Seguro or Boleto de Taxi. Be sure to get the detachable piece of the ticket back. Prices range from M$100-300 for the taxi service, depending on the size of the car and the zone of the city you are going to. For example, a sedan to the Centro Historico costs M$225 (Jan 2018). A drawing of a car on the ticket will tell you what type of car the ticket is valid for. Some ticket vendors are known to sell more expensive tickets for huge vans to single persons with moderate amounts of luggage, so specify which type of car you want, otherwise you are likely to be ripped off.

Once you've picked up your taxi ticket, join the melee (especially outside Terminal 2) in the taxi staging area. Join the queue of people carrying the same color card as yourself, or ask the taxi marshals which line to join. You might notice people moving past you. They're family groups boarding vans. If you're waiting a long time because your chosen taxi company is short on cars, go back and ask for a refund. You can then buy a new ticket with a different company.

The Terminal 1 taxi boarding area is outside Gate 10, to the right of all the arrivals halls. The different taxi company ranks are at different distances from the terminal but are all within a few meters of each other.

Metrobus
Metrobus #4 is a Bus Rapid Transit Line to the TAPO bus station/San Lázaro Metro, Centro Histórico, Revolution Monument and Buenavista Station in the central part of Mexico City. They stop at Puerta (Gate) 7 in Terminal 1 and Puerta 2 (lower level) in Terminal 2. Fares to/from the airport cost M$30 (Nov 2021). You need a smart card to ride the system, which can be bought at the 7-Eleven inside the terminals or one of the orange coloured machines near the exit.

Metro
If you are looking for a more economical means of transportation and you're not carrying too much luggage, take the Metro (subway). The station is next to the Domestic Flight Arrivals hall in Terminal 1. Go to the left when coming out from Terminal 1 International Arrivals. Terminal 2 is 15 minutes walk from Pantitlán station, but the walk involves passing through a relatively run-down area.

Inside Terminal 1, there are signs pointing to the Metro station, which is a long way towards the left if you exit from any door. Keep an eye out for the orange 1970s style M designating the entrance. Large bags are officially prohibited, but a large-ish backpack should be fine as long as you're not travelling in rush hour. Throughout the Metro system there are plenty of stairs. Not all stations have escalators and none have wide gates for luggage.

Metro tickets cost M$5 each. Don't try paying with the M$500 note you've just received at the exchange bureau. However, buying a public transport smart card and putting up to M$200 is fine. The Metro has its own risks. Violent crime is very rare but pick-pocketing is a moderate danger here so be aware of your surroundings, and keep an eye on your belongings. Especially, don't take the Metro during rush hour unless you are especially fond of the sensation a sardine has in a tin.

There are system maps in every station near the ticket booths and on the platforms, as well as neighborhood maps close to the ticket booths. Try to avoid peak hours: approximately 4 million people use this service every day. Line 5 (which is the one that passes by the airport) is relatively empty, but Lines 1, 2 and 3 can be crowded at any time of the day.

Bus
Local buses do not enter the airport, but if it's not rush hour and you're not carrying too much luggage, it's possible to walk to the Circuito Interior ring road from Terminal 1 (follow the signs towards the Metro). Regular (M$2) and express (M$4) RTP buses pass frequently and have routes around the ring road. You need to pay with exact change (or pay extra) in the coin boxes. From Terminal 2 you could walk to the Pantitlán Metro Station (which is the terminus of dozens of bus lines), but it involves passing through a relatively run-down area.

If you are going to another city by bus, the in Terminal 2 is located on the far right of the arrivals floor, after coming out of customs, past the escalators, by domestic arrivals. The in Terminal 1 is located by the auto ramp by the international arrivals area, between Puertas 7 & 8. To get there go up the escalators to Sala 'G' by the food court (opposite side of the food court from international departures & international airline check in). Go across the bridge next to the food court (between 7-Eleven and Krispy Kreme Doughnuts) to the bus companies' check-in desks at the opposite side to buy the tickets. Follow sign to the right and down the escalators to the bus loading area. In both terminals follow the Autobuses Foraneos signs. The following bus companies serve the airport:



Get around
The two terminals are connected by a bus line and a light rail system, which is significantly faster than the bus. For some reason, you can only board the light rail if you have a flight boarding pass or ticket stub from your arriving flight. Tough luck if you have an e-ticket and haven't printed your boarding pass or if you're travelling to terminal 2 to meet somebody. The storm troopers won't let you board the train!

Inter-terminal shuttle
If your arriving flight is in Terminal 2 you will need to take the light rail Aerotrén or the airport shuttle to Terminal 1. The Aerotrén is only available to airport and airline employees and people holding airline tickets or boarding passes. Credentials will be checked. Otherwise the white shuttles with a white and red checkered design on the back provide free inter-terminal transport (you can find them at Puerta 6 in T1 and Puerta 4 in T2). There are also red buses that travel between the terminals, but charge a fee. These buses make a stop at the metro station when going from T2 to T1 (but not on the way back).

It is also possible to reach the metro stop from T2 by walking east on Eje 1 Norte. The Pantitlan Station is also a major bus station with various buses, peseros and taxis serving the delegaciones (boroughs) in the southeastern part of Mexico City as well as the terminus for several metro lines. Be careful as this walk can be potentially dangerous, especially at night and especially for the obvious tourist.

Wait
There is an art gallery with temporary exhibits in Terminal 1, close to the domestic departures.

Seating is scarce in the ground floor landside area of Terminal 1, but you should be able to find something around the food court in the departures level. You can sit down or lie down in the stone steps in the arrival area of Terminal 2.

Plane spotters usually go up a pedestrian bridge close to Terminal Aérea Metro Station.

Lounges
In addition to the airline club lounges, there are commercial lounges and lounges run by banks or credit card companies (American Express, Citibank, HSBC). The airline lounges are:



Eat and drink
There are plenty of restaurants and corporate fast-food grease pits inside both terminals and a large food court in Terminal 1. Prices are slightly higher airside than landside. For a cheaper alternative, you can buy something from the Grab N Go or 7-Eleven convenience stores inside both terminals. Fortunately for travelers with taste buds, there are also a handful of more distinctive, higher quality options. Better restaurants in the airport include:

Terminal 1

 * Tasca Don Quino (Sala B) - a little taste of Spain in the heart of Mexico's busiest airport, the restaurant is known for its cakes, its tortillas (Spanish-style tortillas, which are more like a cross between an omelette and a quiche), and its thin-sliced dry Spanish ham (similar to serrano).
 * Maison Kayser (Gate 6) - French bakery serving croissants and desserts with artisanal cheeses and French roast coffee.

Terminal 2

 * Vuela Carmen (Sala B) - interesting deviations from standard Mexican dishes, some using artesanal cheeses or less common chiles. The octopus sopes are highly recommended as are the tostadas mentiras. The restaurant is open 24 hours, so even if you have a late flight or end up spending the night in the airport, there's no reason to settle for bad food.
 * Iwashi (outside security) - fresh sushi served with sake or Japanese beers. Try the squid nigiri.
 * La Mansión (Gate 4) - the place to go for carnivores and those with hearty appetites, the restaurant serves grilled steaks, barbecue ribs, and arracherra with all the accompaniments of a good carne asada.

Currency conversion
The airport rarely offers the best rates for converting your currency. However there are many currency changers, some offering better rates than others or not charging a commission. The converter near Gate E1, in the arrival wing, usually offers the best rate. There are also numerous ATM/Cashpoint (cajero electronico) machines located throughout both terminals, operated by various banks, which take foreign Visa, MasterCard or debit cards to draw money in pesos.

Connect
Free WiFi is available throughout both terminals. Additional WiFi providers have both free and paid connectivity. For example, Boingo provides 45 minutes of free WiFi connectivity and then asks you to sign up for their paid service. Several of the airport restaurants also offer free WiFi service while you are on their premises.

Cope
During high traffic periods, such as holidays or summer months, airport guides are available throughout both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. The guides help passengers with basic logistical info and assistance. The guides particularly look to help young travelers, the elderly, and travelers with disabilities. Guides are bilingual (Spanish-English) and can point out where to find airport services or airline personnel.

Guides wear red shirts and red baseball hats and are usually available from 7:00 to 22:00 during peak travel periods.

Sleep
The hotels at or next to the airport seem to be at around US$90-135. There are more budget options for under US$75 further away in Colonia Moctezuma Segunda, west and southwest of the airport runways. They would be too far to walk so ask if they offer shuttle service to/from the terminals. The surrounding areas are not the safest or the best neighborhoods but they would be ideal if needing to stay near the airport after a late arrival and/or for an early flight out. Several hotels connect to the terminals; the two most convenient are the Hilton (above Terminal 1) and the Nh (above Terminal 2).

Sleeping at the airport is possible but quite uncomfortable. You probably want to avoid it unless you're in a very tight budget.



Nearby
As the airport is close to a somewhat shoddy neighborhood, your best bet is to take the Metro (during daytime) or a cab (at night) to your final destination in Mexico City once you leave the airport.

For nearby cities outside CDMX, see the "Get in" section for information about the on-site bus terminal with frequent departures to Puebla, Cuernavaca, and destinations in the Bajio region.