---
title: "MEX is which airport? Mexico City"
description: "MEX is Mexico City International Airport in Mexico City, Mexico. Why the code is MEX and not something you could guess, plus the codes it gets mixed up with."
url: https://atoneplace.net/airport/mex/
site: "At One Place"
---

# What airport is MEX?

**MEX is: Mexico City International Airport**

Mexico City, Mexico

## Why the code is MEX

MEXico.

The airport authority or a contemporaneous record states this directly.

## The airport

- **IATA code:** MEX
- **ICAO code:** MMMX
- **Airport:** Mexico City International Airport
- **City:** Mexico City, Mexico
- **Code origin:** Documented

At 2,230 m, on the bed of a drained lake, in a valley ringed by mountains, Mexico City is a demanding airport on every axis — the altitude alone lengthens takeoff runs by a third. It is also sinking, along with the rest of the city, which has required repeated runway resurfacing.

## The other code, MMMX

Every airport has two codes. The three-letter IATA code, MEX, is the one on your boarding pass and your luggage tag, and it is assigned for commercial use. The four-letter ICAO code, MMMX, is the one pilots and controllers use, and it is assigned geographically: the first letter or two identify the region, so every airport in the same part of the world shares a prefix. That is why MMMX looks nothing like MEX.

## Common questions

### What airport is MEX?

Mexico City International Airport, in Mexico City, Mexico.

### Why is Mexico City's airport called MEX?

MEXico.

### What is the difference between MEX and MMMX?

MEX is the IATA code, used commercially — tickets, timetables, luggage tags. MMMX is the ICAO code, used operationally by pilots and air traffic control, and assigned geographically by region.

## Related pages

- [Mexico](https://atoneplace.net/country/mexico/)
- [The flag of Mexico](https://atoneplace.net/flag/mexico/)
- [Airport codes in Mexico](https://atoneplace.net/airport/in/mexico/)
- [What airport is CUN?](https://atoneplace.net/airport/cun/)

## Sources

- OurAirports — OurAirports (https://ourairports.com/data/) [Public domain]