All Mexican airports are privately owned, with the exception of Mexico City’s international airport, Aeropuerto Internacional Benito Juárez. This airport remains the largest in Latin America in take offs and landings and is behind only Guarulhos Airport in São Paulo, Brazil in number of passengers. It is the 51st largest in the world (passenger service) transporting close to 29.5 million passengers a year.

Mexico has about 1,834 airports, which makes it number 2 in North America in number of airports within a country, behind the United States, and number 3 in the world behind the United States and Brazil; Russia and Canada round out the top five.

Mazatlán’s General Rafael Buelna International Airport, is the most important airport in Sinaloa for its international operations and second to Culiacán International Airport for its domestic operations. Its busiest domestic routes are Mexico City, Monterrey, and Tijuana. Phoenix, Los Angeles, and Houston, respectively, are the busiest international routes.

There are more than 70 domestic airline companies in Mexico. The major player in the industry is AeroMexico, owned by Grupo Financiero Banamex. Mexicana de Aviación, the oldest airline in Mexico, was the second player of the industry until it ceased operations in August of 2010.

Other small airlines include AeroMexico Connect (AeroMexico regional subsidiary,) MexicanaClick (Mexicana’s low cost subsidiary,) Aviacsa, Volaris, Interjet, Aeromar, VivaAerobus, Magnicharters and Republicair.