Jose Maria Córdova International Airport
Facts on MDE
MDE's code comes straight from the city it serves — MeDEllin — even though the airport itself sits in the neighboring town of Rionegro, roughly 21 miles (35 km) and up to an hour's drive from downtown Medellín.
Source: Medellin Guru
The airport is named for General José María Córdova, a Colombian independence-era army general who was born in Rionegro, the same town where the airport was ultimately built.
Source: Wikipedia - José María Córdova International Airport
José María Córdova International Airport opened on 29 August 1985 after Medellín's old in-city airport, Olaya Herrera, became too congested to expand; planners picked the San Nicolás valley site in Rionegro over an alternative near Barbosa.
Source: Wikipedia - José María Córdova International Airport