Federal Government to Give Maintenance to AICM Facilities
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Federal Government to Give Maintenance to AICM Facilities

Photo by:   Eddie Bugajewski
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Fernando Mares By Fernando Mares | Journalist & Industry Analyst - Thu, 04/28/2022 - 15:39

Restoring AICM’s infrastructure is one of the main mid-term priorities of the Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications and Transport (SICT). This includes an extension for terminal 1 and the construction of a new terminal to solve the saturation of the city’s main airport. 

 

For the restoration of the airport facilities, the government will assign over US$33 million. In addition, US$6 million will come from AICM's own resources. The project considers the replacement of escalators, the restoration of the drainage and pumping sump systems, the acquisition of cleaning articles, repairs of fissured beams and foundations in terminal 1, solving the sinking of the airport’s ground and the construction of an emergency platform, which currently presents a 70 percent progress. 

 

According to SICT, the construction of terminal 3 is also considered. This project was planned to start in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic put the project on hold. At the time, the estimated investment for the terminal was US$147 million. The extension of the terminal is not to receive more flights, but for the transit of users in the former presidential hangar. For this project, the government has not specified the total investment. 

 

Terminal 1 will be expanded, mainly in its waiting areas, as the current spaces do not meet the airport’s normative standards. For this purpose, the government will invest over US$34 million.

 

Companies have asked for investment in AICM, arguing that this is the country’s “calling card.” Braulio Arsuaga, President, National Business Council on Tourism (CENT), told El Heraldo de Mexico that new investment should be focused on the arrivals area, where long wait times cause problems to passengers and companies alike. 

 

Almost 25 percent of the priority projects of the federal government are focused on Mexico City’s Airport System, with 41 of the 154 main projects focused on AICM. 

 

AICM has long been battling saturation, with over 30 percent of flights to and from AICM being delayed for at least 15 minutes in 1H21. To solve the saturation problem, the government has opted for a three airports strategy, which consists of a third terminal in AICM, the expansion of the underutilized International Airport of Toluca, as well as the construction of AIFA, with the aim of replacing the canceled mega-airport of Texcoco, a project started by former President Enrique Peña Nieto.

Photo by:   Eddie Bugajewski

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