EZE vs AEP: Which Buenos Aires Airport Do You Actually Land At?

Two airports, one city, and one very common mistake

Buenos Aires has two working airports, and travellers who conflate them tend to plan a bad first day. Before booking a transfer, a hotel, or even a same-day connecting flight, check which one your own ticket actually uses — the two are on opposite sides of the city, and the difference in travel time is not a rounding error.

Ministro Pistarini International Airport, universally known by its code EZE and often just called Ezeiza, sits roughly 30–35 km south-west of central Buenos Aires. It handles nearly all intercontinental service: flights from Europe, North America, the Middle East, Asia and Australia land here. If your itinerary shows a flight from Madrid, Miami, London, Doha or Sydney, it is landing at EZE.

Aeroparque Jorge Newbery, coded AEP, sits inside the city itself, on the riverfront a few kilometres from Palermo and Retiro. It handles domestic flights within Argentina and most regional routes to neighbouring countries. If you are flying onward to Iguazú, Bariloche, Ushuaia, Mendoza, or hopping to Montevideo by air rather than ferry, that flight almost certainly departs from AEP.

The two airports are roughly 40 km apart by road. Mixing them up — turning up at the wrong one, or assuming a connection between them is quick — is the single most common airport-planning error visitors to Buenos Aires make.

Why this mix-up costs travellers real time

It is easy to see how the confusion happens. Both codes start with a Buenos Aires-sounding letter, both airports serve the same city, and plenty of booking engines display only the three-letter code without spelling out which one it is. The practical consequence is what makes it worth a paragraph of its own: EZE and AEP sit on opposite ends of the metropolitan area, roughly 40 km apart by road, and a traveller who books a hotel near one and a transfer to the other can lose the best part of a morning correcting the mistake. The same applies in reverse for a departure — arriving at Aeroparque with luggage packed for an Ezeiza check-in, or the other way round, is an entirely avoidable way to miss a flight.

The fix costs nothing and takes thirty seconds: open the booking confirmation, find the three-letter code next to the departure or arrival city, and match it against EZE or AEP before doing anything else — booking a transfer, choosing a hotel neighbourhood, or promising yourself a relaxed same-day connection.

The one rule that matters: read your own ticket

This page will not hand you a shortcut that lets you skip checking your booking. Do not assume an international flight lands at AEP. In practice, essentially no scheduled intercontinental service uses Aeroparque; it is built around shorter regional and domestic routes and smaller aircraft. If you are arriving from outside South America, plan around EZE unless your airline confirms otherwise in writing on your own itinerary.

The three-letter airport code on your boarding pass or e-ticket is the only reliable source. Airline route networks change, and a route that used one airport a few years ago can shift. Verify the code for your specific flight before you book ground transport, choose a hotel, or promise yourself a lie-in before a same-day connection.

EZE at a glance

	EZE — Ministro Pistarini
Traffic	Nearly all intercontinental flights
Distance to centre	~30–35 km south-west
Typical transfer time	45–75 minutes by road, traffic-dependent
Feel	Large international terminal, longer walks, more queueing at peak hours
Best for	Arrivals from Europe, North America, Asia, Australia, the Middle East

Ezeiza is a full international airport with the queues, duty-free sprawl and long walkways that implies. After a long-haul flight, budget time for immigration and baggage on top of the road transfer itself. For the transport options into the city — official taxi ranks, pre-booked transfers, remises and airport shuttle services — see the dedicated EZE airport transfer guide, which goes into the practicalities this page deliberately leaves aside.

AEP at a glance

	AEP — Aeroparque Jorge Newbery
Traffic	Domestic Argentina + most regional routes
Distance to centre	A few kilometres, on the riverfront near Palermo
Typical transfer time	15–30 minutes
Feel	Compact, single-terminal, quick in and out
Best for	Onward domestic flights (Iguazú, Patagonia, Mendoza) and some regional hops

Aeroparque is small enough that it barely feels like an airport experience at all by international standards — more like a busy regional hub. Its riverside location means a taxi or rideshare from Palermo or Retiro can be genuinely quick outside peak hours. Details on getting to and from AEP specifically are in the AEP airport transfer guide.

Waiting it out at AEP

Aeroparque is compact, but a long layover between a domestic arrival and an onward flight — or between checking out of a hotel and a late departure — is still more comfortable spent somewhere quieter than the general seating area. For travellers with a gap to fill before or after a domestic hop, a paid lounge is a straightforward way to get a seat, a drink and reliable Wi-Fi away from the gate crowds:

lounge access at Aeroparque for a comfortable wait between flights

It is worth pairing this with a private transfer booked in advance rather than queuing on arrival, particularly on a domestic short-hop schedule where the transfer window is tight to begin with:

a pre-booked transfer to or from Aeroparque, timed to a domestic flight schedule

Connecting between EZE and AEP

Some itineraries land international at EZE and continue domestic from AEP — most commonly, visitors flying into Buenos Aires from abroad and continuing the same or next day to Iguazú Falls, which is itself reached by a roughly two-hour flight rather than a road trip.

Do not book this as a tight same-day connection. The two airports sit on opposite sides of a large, frequently congested city. Between clearing immigration and collecting bags at EZE, the road transfer across Buenos Aires, and check-in at AEP, a realistic buffer is several hours — not the 60–90 minutes that might look adequate on paper. Many experienced visitors simply spend a night in the city between an EZE arrival and an AEP departure rather than risk a missed domestic connection.

For travellers who want a single fixed-price way to move between the two airports without assembling their own taxi-plus-traffic gamble, a scheduled connection service covers exactly this route:

a direct scheduled transfer service running between Buenos Aires’s two airports

Getting from EZE into the city

Once you have confirmed you are at EZE, the practical options are: an official airport taxi from the staffed ranks inside the terminal, a pre-booked private transfer arranged before arrival, a remise booked at an airport counter, or a rideshare app pickup from the designated zone. Pre-booking a private transfer avoids both the taxi queue and any pricing uncertainty on arrival — useful after an overnight flight when negotiating in a second language is the last thing anyone wants to do. One straightforward option:

a fixed-price private transfer from EZE straight into central Buenos Aires

Travellers with a long layover or an early departure sometimes prefer to wait it out somewhere quieter than the general terminal:

airport lounge access at EZE for a comfortable wait before or after a flight

Once in the city, everyday transport runs on the SUBE card, required on the Subte and city buses, and on remises, taxis and rideshare apps for anything door to door.

Airport taxi or pre-booked private transfer at EZE?

Both options get you from Ezeiza into the city, but they suit different arrivals. The staffed taxi ranks inside the terminal are the default for travellers who would rather decide on the spot, with no advance booking required. A pre-booked private transfer trades that flexibility for certainty: the price and pickup point are fixed before you land, someone is waiting with a name board at arrivals, and there is no need to negotiate a fare in Spanish after a long-haul flight. For a one-way transfer booked ahead of arrival, or a round trip covering both the arrival and the eventual departure, dedicated services cover the route end to end:

a private one-way transfer from EZE straight to your accommodation a one-way or round-trip EZE transfer, useful if you want both legs booked at once

Getting from AEP into the city

AEP’s location on the riverfront near Palermo and Retiro makes it genuinely convenient: a taxi or rideshare into the centre often takes well under half an hour outside rush hour, and several city bus routes pass close to the terminal. For a first arrival with luggage, a taxi or pre-booked remise remains the simplest choice; for a quick domestic connection with only hand luggage, a short walk to a nearby bus stop can work for confident, lightly loaded travellers.

Because Aeroparque sits so close to central neighbourhoods, some visitors flying in domestically use the short transfer time to fit in an activity before or after a flight — a guided orientation in Palermo Soho, for instance:

a guided walking tour through the Palermo Soho streets, easily combined with a short domestic connection

Which airport for which trip: a quick reference

If your flight is…	You are almost certainly at…
From Europe, North America, Asia, Australia, the Middle East	EZE
A domestic flight within Argentina (Iguazú, Bariloche, Mendoza, Ushuaia…)	AEP
A regional hop to a neighbouring country	Usually AEP, but check the code
A same-trip connection between international arrival and domestic onward flight	EZE in, AEP out (or the reverse) — allow several hours between them

Planning the rest of the arrival day

Whichever airport you land at, arrival logistics are only the first piece of the plan. Visitors landing at EZE with time before check-in often use the transfer window productively — an escorted look at the centre, or a first orientation drive, is a common way to convert dead transfer time into a first taste of the city:

a guided shopping outing that doubles as an easy first orientation to the city’s main commercial streets

For a fuller first-day and first-week plan once you are settled, the three-day first-timer itinerary picks up from wherever your transfer drops you, and the Buenos Aires city pass guide is worth checking before committing to individual museum or landmark tickets.

Getting around once you are in the city — the Subte metro, the SUBE card, and remises, taxis and rideshare apps — is covered in more detail in their own guides, along with airport-specific transfer logistics in the EZE transfer guide and the AEP transfer guide.

If Iguazú is on the itinerary, note again that it is reached by a roughly two-hour flight from AEP, normally visited over two full days, not attempted as a road day trip from the capital — see the Iguazú Falls guide for the full picture, and the destination page for Iguazú Falls for an overview of the falls themselves.

FAQ: EZE vs AEP in Buenos Aires

How do I know if I am flying into EZE or AEP?

Check the three-letter airport code on your ticket or booking confirmation. EZE is Ministro Pistarini International Airport; AEP is Aeroparque Jorge Newbery. Almost every long-haul intercontinental flight from Europe, North America, Asia or Australia lands at EZE, not AEP.

Can an international flight land at Aeroparque (AEP)?

In practice, essentially no scheduled intercontinental service uses AEP; it is built for domestic and regional routes on smaller aircraft. Never assume your international arrival is at AEP — always verify the code printed on your own ticket rather than relying on a general rule.

How far apart are EZE and AEP?

Roughly 40 km apart, on opposite sides of the city. EZE is about 30–35 km south-west of central Buenos Aires; AEP is inside the city itself, on the riverfront near Palermo, a few kilometres from the centre.

How long does it take to get from EZE to the city centre?

Around 45 to 75 minutes by road, depending on traffic on the Autopista Ricchieri and the general state of the city’s roads. Allow the longer end of that range during rush hour.

How long does it take to get from AEP to the city centre?

Usually 15 to 30 minutes, since Aeroparque sits on the riverfront close to Palermo and Retiro, well inside the city limits.

How much time should I allow to transfer between EZE and AEP?

Several hours, not one. The two airports are on opposite sides of a large, often congested city, and a same-day connection between an international arrival at EZE and a domestic departure from AEP (or the reverse) needs a wide buffer for traffic and check-in.

Do EZE and AEP use different currencies or payment rules?

No, both are in Argentina and use the Argentine peso. But transfer and taxi prices at both airports are best treated as a dated snapshot given Argentina’s history of rapid inflation and changing payment rules — check current fares before budgeting.

Which airport do domestic flights within Argentina use?

The great majority of domestic and regional flights, including most routes to Iguazú, Patagonia and neighbouring countries, use Aeroparque (AEP) rather than Ezeiza (EZE).