Midland International Air & Space Port is the airport most of West Texas flies out of, and it has a few quirks worth knowing before your first trip through it. Here is the practical version: who flies where, what parking actually costs, and where to find your ride when you land.
What MAF Is
The airport sits roughly halfway between Midland and Odessa and is owned and operated by the City of Midland. It serves 43 counties across Western Texas and Eastern New Mexico. It is also the closest commercial airport to Big Bend National Park. For scale, Dallas is about 330 miles away and El Paso about 300.
The airport code is MAF, which is why you will see it written that way on tickets and on the flymaf.com website.
Airlines and Nonstop Routes
Three airlines serve MAF: American, Southwest and United. Between them the airport runs more than 20 daily departures with nonstop service to eight airports:
- AUS, Austin-Bergstrom
- DAL, Dallas Love Field
- DEN, Denver
- DFW, Dallas-Fort Worth
- HOU, Houston Hobby
- IAH, Houston Intercontinental
- LAS, Las Vegas
- PHX, Phoenix
Everything else connects, usually through Dallas, Houston or Denver. The airport publishes a monthly flight schedule, and live arrivals and departures run on the flight information page. For real-time status, the airport points travelers to FlightAware’s KMAF page.
Parking, and What It Costs
MAF has seven parking lot areas, all within walking distance of the terminal, and all of them give you the first 30 minutes free. That is the single most useful fact in this guide if you are the one doing airport pickups: if a flight is running late, you can park and go inside rather than circling.
Rates repeat every 24 hours:
- C1, covered, closest to the terminal: $3.00 for 31 to 60 minutes, $2.00 each additional hour, $20.00 daily max
- P1 and P3, close-in uncovered: $2.00 for 31 to 60 minutes, $1.00 each additional hour, $17.00 daily max
- C2, remote covered: $2.00, then $1.00 per hour, $14.00 daily max
- P2 and P4, economy: $2.00, then $1.00 per hour, $12.00 daily max
- P5, remote economy: $2.00, then $1.00 per hour, $10.00 daily max
For a longer trip, P5 is the cheapest option at $10 a day, which works out to $70 for a week. The airport’s site shows live space availability by lot, updated about every five minutes, and publishes a parking lot map.
All exit plazas take credit cards and mobile pay. Cash is accepted only at the main exit plaza, which serves C1, P1 and P2, though there is also a pay station in the terminal lobby. Disabled veterans park free, but the vehicle has to have DV plates on it both entering and exiting.
Security and TSA
The airport’s own guidance is to arrive at least 90 minutes before departure. Standard TSA rules apply: government-issued photo ID with your boarding pass, laptops and large electronics out of the bag, liquids in containers of 3.4 ounces or less inside one quart-sized clear bag, and shoes, belts and jackets off.
TSA PreCheck members get a dedicated lane at MAF and keep shoes, belt and light jacket on. Membership runs $78 for five years through tsa.gov.
Travelers with disabilities or medical conditions can contact TSA Cares through tsa.gov, ideally 72 hours ahead. Liquid medications over 3.4 ounces are allowed but need to be declared at the checkpoint, and the same goes for baby formula, breast milk and juice for infants.
Rental Cars, Rideshare and Pickup
Rental counters are inside the terminal on the first level, directly across from baggage claim. Five companies operate there:
- Avis
- Budget
- Enterprise
- Hertz
- National
Uber, Lyft and taxis pick up in the designated TNC and taxi zone inside the Ground Transportation Area, at the north end of the terminal near baggage claim. Hotel shuttles, limos and buses use their own zone in the same area. All commercial operators are required to use that area rather than the front curb.
The front terminal curb is for private vehicles only, and the vehicle has to stay attended. Unattended cars are subject to citation or removal. Questions about any of it go to Airport Operations, listed on flymaf.com.
The Spaceport Part
The name is not decorative. In 2014, Midland International became the first primary commercial service airport in the country granted a Space Port license by the FAA, which made it one of a small number of FAA-licensed commercial spaceports nationally. It is a genuinely unusual thing for a city this size to have, and it is the reason aerospace companies keep showing up in Permian Basin business news.
Flight Lessons, Charters and Private Flying
Not every flight out of Midland starts in the TSA line. A few quick definitions help here. A charter books a whole private plane with its crew. A flight school teaches you to fly the plane yourself. An FBO is a private terminal that fuels and handles planes and their passengers, but it doesn’t sell flights. Most small-plane flying happens at Midland Airpark (MDD), the city’s general aviation airport about 3 miles north of downtown. Jets and charters mostly use MAF.
Floris Flight Services (901 Veterans Airpark Ln, Hangar 3, at Midland Airpark) is a locally owned flight school that trains pilots from their private certificate through commercial. It also rents aircraft and runs sightseeing flights, which is the easy way to see Midland from the air without committing to lessons.
DV Aviation is the local name for private jet charter. It flies and manages aircraft and runs maintenance from its hangar near MAF, and since buying Basin Aviation it also operates the terminal at Midland Airpark.
Signature Aviation (9500 N Service Rd) is the private terminal on the jet side of MAF, with fuel, hangars and a lounge for crews and passengers. You won’t book a flight there, but if you fly private out of Midland, there’s a good chance it’s where you board.
While You Are Out There
The Midland Army Air Field Museum sits next to the airport and covers the field’s World War II history, when the site trained bombardiers.
If you are new in town, our newcomer’s guide to moving to Midland covers the rest of the logistics. Picking someone up for the weekend? See where to take out-of-towners in Midland and our guide to day trips from Midland. For a rainy afternoon, there is also museums in Midland.
Frequently Asked Questions
What airlines fly out of Midland, Texas?
American, Southwest and United, with more than 20 daily departures between them.
Where can you fly nonstop from Midland?
Eight airports: Austin, Dallas Love Field, Dallas-Fort Worth, Denver, Houston Hobby, Houston Intercontinental, Las Vegas and Phoenix.
How much is parking at the Midland airport?
The first 30 minutes are free in every lot. Daily maximums run from $10 in the P5 remote economy lot up to $20 in the C1 covered lot closest to the terminal.
How early should I get to MAF?
The airport recommends at least 90 minutes before departure. TSA PreCheck has a dedicated lane here, which helps at peak times.
Where do Uber and Lyft pick up at the Midland airport?
In the designated TNC and taxi zone in the Ground Transportation Area, at the north end of the terminal near baggage claim. The front curb is reserved for private vehicles.
Can you take flying lessons in Midland?
Yes. Floris Flight Services at Midland Airpark trains pilots from private through commercial and also offers sightseeing flights.
Is Midland really a spaceport?
Yes. The FAA granted Midland International a Space Port license in 2014, the first primary commercial service airport in the country to get one.
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Top photo: Blueag9, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
