Space Industry, Air Cargo in the Spotlight: The Week in Aerospace

The Mexican Space Agency (AEM) and the Ministry of Economy published a norm to provide guidelines, parameters and technical standards for the Mexican talent working in the space industry, as the country pushes to build this sector. Meanwhile, Felipe Ángeles International Airport’s (AIFA) cargo terminal reports 97 percent progress and will begin delivering warehouses this month.

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Mexico to Impulse National Space Industry Through New Standard

AEM and the Ministry of Economy have published the "NMX-AE-003-SCFI-2021" standard to provide guidelines, parameters and technical standards for the Mexican talent working in the space industry. The standard is part of Mexico’s efforts to generate confidence and certainty in the space industry, as the country pushes to build this sector.

“These technical standards are multiple and will enable Mexico's insertion in international markets through products compatible with the standards required by the global space industry,” reads a press release by AEM.

AEM to Work Alongside NASA on “AztechSat”

AEM signed a new agreement with NASA to develop the “AztechSat.” Previous successes in similar missions attracted attention to nanosatellites to stop depending exclusively on Earth’s stations to transmit information. Nanosatellites could allow stations to remain operational longer, which is what convinced NASA to sign the agreement.

"Through this new agreement with NASA, we double our efforts to strengthen Mexico's international cooperation and the promotion of youth training in advanced space technologies for social applications," said Salvador Landeros, Director General, AEM, through a press release.

Volaris Reports an Increase in Demand During May 2022

Mexican ultra-low-cost airline Volaris continues to dominate the Mexican market, reporting another major step forward with a 12.3 percent growth in demand and a 12.4 percent increase in capacity during May 2022, in comparison to the same month in 2021.

AIFA Cargo Terminal Warehouses Almost Ready to Operate

AIFA cargo terminal, which delayed its start of operations due to logistics problems with the delivery of supplies necessary for its construction, reports a 97 percent progress and will begin to receive warehouses in June 2022, said to T21 Isidoro Pastor Román, General Director, AIFA.

Cathay Pacific Cargo Resumes Hong Kong-Mexico Route

Cathay Pacific Cargo restarted operations in its routes between Hong Kong, Mexico City and Guadalajara. The company reiterated that until AIFA has the necessary infrastructure for cargo movement, it will remain operating at Mexico City International Airport (AICM).

“We would have to be absolutely sure that [AIFA] is finished and evaluate what would be the step to follow for the following season. Now our plan is not to increase frequencies but to stabilize our itinerary, to recover what we lost during the time we did not operate”, said Fernando Dragonné de la Parra, Country Manager Mexico, Cathay Pacific Cargo.