Memphis International Airport

Memphis International Airport (IATA: MEM, ICAO: KMEM, FAA LID: MEM) is a big airport located seven miles southeast of downtown Memphis in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States. It covers a huge area of 3,900 acres and has four runways for airplanes to take off and land.

The airport is very important because it is home to the FedEx Express global hub. FedEx uses Memphis as a center for sending packages all over the world, including places in the United States, Canada, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and South America. The airport has over 80 passenger flights every day.

Memphis International Airport opened in 1929 and became busy during World War II. In the 1960s, a new terminal was built for faster airplanes. In 1973, FedEx started using the airport as its main hub. The airport also used to be a place where many passengers changed planes from 1985 to 2013, but later it was changed to focus more on cargo and FedEx operations. As of 2025, the airport is being renamed to honor Frederick W. Smith, the founder of FedEx.

History

Memphis mayor Watkins Overton created a group in 1927 to build an airport. It opened on June 14, 1929, as Memphis Municipal Airport. The opening featured flying shows and many airplanes arriving. Early on, it had simple buildings and a dirt runway. Standard Oil of Louisiana built the first terminal. In 1930, lights were added so planes could land at night. Passenger flights began soon after, and the first airmail service started in June 1930.

After the United States entered World War II, the city let the government use the airport. It helped train pilots and repair planes. Commercial flights continued but were limited. After the war, the airport returned to city control in 1949.

In 1958, Memphis opened the first air-cargo terminal in the country. By 1960, the airport got its first jet flights. In 1962, the airport had to change its rules to treat everyone fairly, thanks to a court case.

In June 1963, a new terminal opened, and the airport was renamed Memphis Metropolitan Airport. It had a special design where passengers could board planes on one level and pick up bags on another. The airport became Memphis International Airport in 1969.

Air-cargo company Federal Express moved to Memphis in 1973. The airport became very busy with cargo flights. By 1992, it was the world's busiest for cargo. The airport kept growing with new buildings and runways.

In 2008, Delta Air Lines took over Northwest Airlines. Delta kept Memphis as a hub but later reduced its flights. By 2013, Delta closed its hub at Memphis. This led to fewer passengers but more low-cost airlines started flying there. Cargo traffic, especially for FedEx, remained strong. In 2022, Concourse B was updated with wider halls and higher ceilings. Plans are to tear down Concourse A for a new building. After Frederick W. Smith, the founder of FedEx, passed away in June 2025, the airport was renamed in his honor. The change was being put in place by December 2025.

Facilities

Memphis International Airport covers 3,900 acres and has four runways for airplanes. The airport has a tall air traffic control tower and a special building to help planes stay safe in cold weather.

The airport has one main building where passengers go. This building has a special shape like the letter Y and many places for airplanes to park. Most international flights use one part of the building. The airport used to have three different parts, but now most flights use just one part after updates in 2022.

The airport is very important for sending and receiving packages. A big company that sends packages uses the airport as its main place to sort packages. Another company also has a place at the airport to help with packages.

People can get to the airport using buses or cars. There is a big parking area and a place to rent cars near the airport. Buses can take travelers to the city center of Memphis.

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

Cargo

Statistics

From 1992 to 2009, Memphis International was the world's busiest airport for moving goods. It moved down to second place in 2010, just behind Hong Kong. It stayed the busiest airport for goods in the United States and the Western Hemisphere. It went back to first place for a short time in 2020 because of a big increase in online shopping during the COVID-19 pandemic, but then dropped to second place again in 2021.

Busiest domestic routes from MEM (January 2025 – December 2025)

Rank	City	Passengers	Carriers
1	Atlanta, Georgia	414,580	Delta, Southwest
2	Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas	237,580	American, Spirit
3	Charlotte, North Carolina	186,920	American
4	Chicago–O'Hare, Illinois	156,820	American, United
5	Denver, Colorado	139,860	Frontier, Southwest, United
6	Houston–Intercontinental, Texas	111,310	United
7	Orlando, Florida	98,410	Southwest, Spirit
8	New York–LaGuardia, New York	88,760	American, Delta
9	Las Vegas, Nevada	87,150	Allegiant, Frontier, Southwest, Spirit
10	Houston–Hobby, Texas	84,220	Southwest

Air National Guard

Main article: 164th Airlift Wing

The Memphis Air National Guard Base is located at the airport and is home to the 164th Airlift Wing. It was set up in 1946. Originally, it was on the north side of the airport near the FedEx area. In 2008, a new building was made on the southeast side to fit the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy and give FedEx extra space. Since 2013, the unit has been using the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III.