AME to Invest MX$350 Million in Saltillo Airport Upgrade

Aeropuertos Mexicanos (AME) is launching a MX$350 million (US$20.2 million) initial modernization project at Plan de Guadalupe International Airport in Saltillo, Coahuila, aimed at expanding commercial jet capacity near Monterrey's industrial hub. 

Speaking at the ACI-LAC Airport Commercial Forum 2026 in Mexico City, AME Chief Executive Officer Javier García detailed the company’s capital deployment plans. The strategy includes channeling US$400 million into greenfield terminal projects and airfield expansions at Tepic and Puerto Escondido, alongside a initial MX$350 million (US$20.2 million) investment to modernize Saltillo International Airport.

The infrastructure push is designed to expand air transport capacity, adapt to surging passenger demand, and support regional development models in both northern industrial zones and Pacific coast destination markets.

Saltillo Modernization Targets Commercial Jet Operations

At Plan de Guadalupe International Airport in Saltillo, Coahuila, AME is executing an initial MX$350 million (US$20.2 million) phase under a professional service contract with the local government. Unlike AME’s coastal airport assets, the Saltillo terminal facility remains under municipal ownership.

"We have a service provision contract, in which what we are doing is promoting, visualizing, planning, and finding appropriate business models," García said.

The first phase of the Saltillo project focuses heavily on airside modifications designed to accommodate larger narrow-body commercial aircraft, including the Airbus A320, Airbus A321, and Boeing 737 platforms.

Concurrently, AME is reconfiguring passenger processing areas inside the terminal while operations continue uninterrupted.

"We are generating an entire space for passengers inside the terminal: check-in, baggage carousels, migration, customs; we are starting to complement what was missing," García noted.

The initial work at Saltillo is scheduled for completion prior to Holy Week (Semana Santa) next year. The airport currently operates commercial routes to Mexico City and Cancún. AME executives anticipate adding future routes to Guadalajara as well as establishing direct international connectivity with Texas.

The terminal’s geographic position near the business districts of neighboring Nuevo León plays a strategic role in its usage patterns.

"This has generated a lot of expectation, first because Saltillo is a very thriving city, and second because it is attached to the San Pedro area in Monterrey, Nuevo León. People from over there arrive at the Saltillo airport faster than at Mariano Escobedo. It comes to complement the growth of the region," García explained.

Pacific Coast Terminals Add 40,000 m2 of Infrastructure

Along the Pacific coast, AME is directing US$400 million toward completely new terminal facilities and comprehensive airside and landside expansions at Tepic (Riviera Nayarit) and Puerto Escondido. Operating these locations in partnership with government agency Aeropuertos y Servicios Auxiliares (ASA), AME is adding a combined 40,000 m2 of new infrastructure to the national airport grid.

The capital expenditure covers final-phase construction of brand-new passenger terminals, run-way and platform interventions, landside access improvements, and modern control towers. The first phase of construction across both Pacific terminals is slated for completion in the first quarter of next year.

The expansion aligns with broader regional transport infrastructure projects, including new highway links and hotel developments along the coast.

"All this infrastructure being built at both airports shares the vision of seeking to boost new tourism development poles," García stated.

Passenger traffic at both locations is projected to scale alongside regional lodging capacity:

Puerto Escondido International Airport: Expected to process 1.3 million passengers this year, growing in step with expanding hotel inventories.

Tepic / Riviera Nayarit International Airport: Projected to approach 500,000 passengers during its initial months of operation under its updated destination branding, with long-term forecasts anticipating growth to between 2.5 million and 3 million annual passengers.