How is Mexico’s three-airport system advancing?

A government plan to develop a three-airport system for Mexico City is moving tenaciously forward.

For one of the three airports, in Mexico state’s capital Toluca, state holding GACM is negotiating with the facility‘s concession holders, local daily El Economista reported.

Construction firm and concession operator Aleatica holds one concession and has reportedly agreed to either selling its stake or to collaborate in the realization of the system. The move guarantees Toluca airport‘s role in the system, the paper quoted GACM head Gerardo Ferrando as saying.

Aleatica, formerly OHL México, has a 49% stake in the concession, while Mexico state government holds 26% and public airport operator ASA owns 25%.

Under the federal plan, the Toluca airport, currently operating significantly below its capacity, would be enhanced to handle 8mn passengers a year.

The two other airports in the system are the existing Mexico City international airport (AICM), and the facility planned at the Santa Lucía military air base, also in Mexico state.

Santa Lucía

Construction is reportedly running into some problems as the mayors of the municipalities adjacent to the military air base refuse to sign land transfer agreements unless they receive a copy of the final design.

The mayors of Tecámac, Zumpango, Huehuetoca, Teoloyucan, and Nextlalpan informed Román Meyer, minister of agrarian, territorial, and urban development, of their decision at a February meeting, local daily Reforma reported.

But at the time, the final design did not exist, and to date the agreements remain unsigned, according to the report.

Representatives of the ministry (Sedatu) told the paper that the agreements would only be necessary to prepare a territorial program for the area that would focus on the Santa Lucía airport.

Although President Andrés Manuel López Obrador already laid a first stone at a ceremony last month, the master plan of the airport is still under preparation by French airport operator and engineering firm Groupe ADP.

Authorities have pledged that Santa Lucía will be operational by 2020.