Xoxocotlán International Airport — Oaxaca, Mexico

High in a mountain-ringed valley of southern Mexico, Xoxocotlán International Airport sits at nearly 5,000 feet of elevation, a height that affects aircraft performance enough to influence which jets airlines assign to routes serving the code OAX. The airport takes its name from a municipality just outside Oaxaca de Juárez, the state capital renowned for a historic center recognized by UNESCO alongside the nearby ruins of Monte Albán, an ancient Zapotec capital built atop a leveled mountaintop centuries before Spanish colonization. Oaxaca state's rich indigenous heritage, spanning Zapotec and Mixtec cultures, along with its reputation for mezcal production and elaborate Day of the Dead observances each November, draws a steady flow of visitors through this single-runway airport. Flights connect Oaxaca primarily to Mexico City and other Mexican cities, along with seasonal international service, making OAX a comparatively small but culturally significant gateway.