Aeroméxico Urges Third Terminal at AICM to Expand Capacity

Aeroméxico CEO Andrés Conesa has renewed calls for the construction of a third terminal at Mexico City International Airport (AICM), arguing that additional infrastructure is needed to meet long-term passenger demand and to ease operational pressures that have intensified amid ongoing slot disputes between Mexico and the United States.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Conesa said the country’s busiest airport no longer has sufficient capacity to serve travel demand to and within Mexico City. “We have to address this. Something has to be done at this airport,” he said when asked about the possibility of a third terminal at the AICM. According to Conesa, a new terminal would allow the capital’s airport system to manage future growth more efficiently.

The AICM has become a focal point of tensions between Mexican and US aviation authorities over the allocation of takeoff and landing slots. Late last year, Mexico withdrew some slots from Mexican carriers and reassigned them to US airlines after US authorities removed certain routes operated by Mexican airlines. Aeroméxico has been among the carriers affected by route cancellations in the United States.

“I believe the disagreement between the US and Mexican authorities will be settled soon,” Conesa said, adding that the airline has already felt the impact of the measures on its cross-border operations.

Beyond the slot conflict, Conesa linked the capacity debate to the broader configuration of the capital’s airport network, which includes the AICM, the Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA) in Santa Lucia, and Toluca International Airport. 

“If you add the three airports with a new terminal, in the best-case scenario you could reach 100 million passengers per year, which is the minimum the Mexico City metropolitan area requires,” Conesa said during an event where Aeroméxico received recognition as the world’s most punctual airline.

In separate comments to El Financiero, Conesa described the project as strategically important beyond the airline sector. “A third terminal would be very good for users, for the country, and for the airport itself. It would complement the metropolitan airport system. AIFA can still increase its flow of passengers, but AICM infrastructure also needs to be expanded to provide sufficient capacity for the Valley of Mexico,” he said.

Conesa avoided commenting on proposals from some experts who have suggested returning to a single-airport model, potentially reviving the canceled Texcoco project. Instead, he acknowledged ongoing modernization work at the AICM, including upgrades to existing terminals, taxiways, and other facilities ahead of this year’s FIFA World Cup matches in Mexico City. “Hopefully after the World Cup we can revisit this issue,” he said, referring to the discussion on a third terminal.

The idea of building a third terminal is not new. In July 2019, Mexico’s then-Ministry of Communications and Transport requested MX$698.3 million (US$40.4 million) to carry out pre-investment studies for the project. According to the request submitted to the Ministry of Finance, the funds were intended to finance 21 studies assessing the feasibility of constructing Terminal 3 on land previously used as the presidential hangar. At the time, authorities said the goal was not to increase flight operations at the already saturated AICM, but to improve passenger experience in boarding and arrival areas.