Did COVID-19 Kill Terminal 3?

Contrary to popular belief, the Santa Lucia Airport was not planned as an isolated project to address the saturation problems that were supposed to be solved by the now-cancelled NAIM. It was integrated in 2019 as part of a package of projects, investments and expansions that came to be known as the Metropolitan Airport System. This system would, in theory, distribute all of Mexico City’s capacity and flow of airlines to three airports: Santa Lucia, the Toluca Airport and the existing AICM, known also as the Benito Juarez International Airport. This last airport was scheduled to receive a significant amount of attention and public funds for rehabilitation and expansion projects, as well as the construction of a third terminal. COVID-19, however, changed the entire panorama of the aerospace industry in an unprecedented way. 

MBN has widely reported on the government’s unwavering conviction when it comes to Santa Lucia: no money has been diverted from that project and updates on the advancements of its construction are constantly touted by President López Obrador. Criticism has abounded that questions the prioritization of such a project in the midst of diminished demand for airport capacity. This criticism is based on the idea that delaying or cancelling this project could offset other economic affectations by channeling some of the funds allocated to the project. 

Funds, however, could come from other projects within the Metropolitan Airport System. A recent press release from SCT addresses the status of planned investments in AICM originally announced in 2019. The press release mentions three projects. The first one is an expansion of Terminal 2 that will provide seven new gates. That project is ongoing and scheduled to be delivered by the end of July. The second one is a general rehabilitation project meant to address what is referred to as “differential sinkings” in the terrain of both terminals 1 and 2. That project is also ongoing and preliminary geotechnical studies are expected by the end of this month. The third project is Terminal 3, which the release analyzes as a now unnecessary project, given COVID-19’s impact on air travel and the expected inauguration of Santa Lucia in March 2022. The release states that the SCT “has proposed” the cancellation of the third terminal although it does not mention any kind of final ruling on the matter.