OMA to Invest MX$16 Billion by 2030, Monterrey Airport Gets Half

Grupo Aeroportuario del Centro Norte (OMA) plans to invest about MX$16 billion (US$877.5 million) between 2026 and 2030 across the 13 airports it operates in Mexico. According to CEO Ricardo Dueñas, roughly half of the planned spending will be directed to Monterrey International Airport, the company’s main hub and largest asset. He said the figure remains under review but aligns with OMA’s capital expenditure levels during the previous five-year period.

Speaking at the ACI Airport Day event at Felipe Ángeles International Airport, Dueñas said that the Monterrey investment will focus on expanding terminals, upgrading runways and taxiways, developing aircraft platforms, and enhancing digitalization efforts. “The investment for our hub in Monterrey will go to the terminal, runways, platforms, taxiways, and technologies to digitalize many of our processes,” he said. The company aims to accelerate modernization to match capacity with projected passenger flows tied to business activity and nearshoring trends.

Dueñas said OMA expects passenger traffic to close 2025 with growth between 8% and 9%, driven by sustained demand from business travelers linked to manufacturing relocations. “The destinations we operate are very focused on nearshoring. Business traffic keeps increasing,” he said.

He added that OMA anticipates a continued expansion cycle. “Traffic in Mexico will continue growing. We believe nearshoring activity will remain, business traffic and tourism will continue increasing, and economic activity as well,” he noted.

Despite rising passenger numbers, Dueñas emphasized that air travel penetration in Mexico remains low. “We are next to the United States, one of the most transited borders. The outlook for air travel in the coming years is positive, which is why we are preparing with the investment levels we plan to deploy,” he said.

The CEO also addressed restrictions imposed by the US Department of Transportation (DOT) on flights from Felipe Ángeles International Airport to the United States. He said the issue does not currently affect private airport groups but acknowledged potential long-term implications. “It is an issue that must be resolved by everyone. In the short term it is not hitting us, but if it remained for a long period, it could impact all of us, which is not what we want,” he said.