Yes, you can smoke at Monterrey International Airport (MTY) — at designated outdoor areas outside the terminals, landside. All three terminals are smoke-free indoors under Mexico’s national tobacco law, so plan to smoke at the curb before you clear security.
General Mariano Escobedo International Airport is northern Mexico’s main gateway, operated by Grupo Aeroportuario Centro Norte (OMA) and spread across three separate terminal buildings. Because the passenger areas are enclosed public spaces, smoking indoors and airside is not permitted anywhere on site; the practical option for smokers is the open-air curb outside each terminal.
Where to Smoke
Smoking at MTY is outdoors only, landside, at the designated areas along the terminal curbs. Step outside the departures or arrivals doors, move clear of the entrances, and use a marked spot to light up. There is no indoor or airside smoking facility in operation at the airport.
Because the three terminals are separate buildings rather than one connected concourse, each has its own curbside area — smoke outside whichever terminal your airline uses.
Terminal A
Terminal A is the oldest and largest building, handling a mix of domestic and international flights with carriers such as Volaris, American Airlines, United and Air Canada. Smoke outdoors at the departures and arrivals curbs before you enter; once you are past security there is no smoking area, so finish outside first.
The OMA Premium Lounge near the gates in Terminal A is a non-smoking environment — it has no smoking terrace, so lounge access does not change the outdoor-only rule.
Terminal B
Terminal B is the more modern two-storey building and serves as the SkyTeam base for Aeroméxico and Delta. As in Terminal A, smoking is at the outdoor curb on the departures and arrivals levels only; the interior, gates and the Terminal B OMA Premium Lounge are all smoke-free.
Terminal C
Terminal C is the single-storey building dedicated to low-cost carrier Viva Aerobús. Smoke outdoors at the terminal curb before security. There is no airside smoking area here either, and the Terminal C OMA Premium Lounge is non-smoking.
After Security
None of the three terminals has a smoking area past security. If you are connecting or have already cleared screening and need to smoke, you will have to exit the building to the landside curb and then re-clear security to reach your gate — budget time for the walk and the queue.
Vaping
Mexico bans the sale, import and distribution of e-cigarettes, though personal use is not criminalised. Treat vaping the same as smoking at MTY: not inside the terminals, only at the outdoor areas. Because bringing a vape into the country is restricted, a device may be confiscated at customs.
Summary
| Area | Smoking | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Indoor terminals (A/B/C) | No | Smoke-free under Mexican law |
| After security / airside | No | No airside smoking area in any terminal |
| OMA Premium Lounges | No | Non-smoking in all three terminals |
| Outdoor (landside) | Yes | Designated areas at the terminal curbs |
For Mexico’s airport smoking rules and vaping law, see our Mexico airport guide.