In the last several years, Mexico's Federal Airport Administration (ASA) has embarked on a major improvement program for the twenty-eight major airports in the country. Besides new seating, new concessions, and overall facelifts, the behind-the-scenes services have also been improved for better security and more efficient operations. For information in English on any of Mexico's airports, go to www.aeropuertosmexico.com/Ingles.

Mexico City Airport

The Benito Juárez International Airport, as the Mexico City airport is officially known, handles over 5,000 passengers an hour. Located just eight miles east of the city center, it's convenient enough to the downtown area to catch a taxi and visit a museum if you have a long enough layover.

Though the airport has just one long terminal with six different concourses, new improvements are making it not only beautiful but extremely easy to get around. Currently, eleven airlines from the United States and Canada fly into Mexico City.

If you're renting a car, the airport has all the major U.S. companies. If not, the best way to get into the city is by Taxi Autorizado, whose white-and-mustard-yellow taxis can be found on the ground floor at the end of Concourse A. Trips on this taxi are prepaid. You can also catch one of the many hotel shuttle buses.

Flying into Regional Airports

You can now fly directly to many of Mexico's regional airports. Private companies now run the Monterrey, Guadalajara, and Cancún international airports, and all facilities have been renovated to provide excellent services. Aeropuerto del Sureste, the private company that operates the Cancún Airport, has invested nearly $45 million to upgrade security, expand check-in facilities, and open additional restaurants. With improvements like this happening all over the country, it's wiser to fly directly into Mexico's smaller regional airports if possible rather than to connect through Mexico City.