Renovations at both terminals of Mexico City International Airport (AICM) are only around half complete after 10 months of construction, meaning they will not be finished in time for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, according to the airport’s Director General Juan José Padilla.
Starting in May 2025, a US $416-million overhaul has been underway at AICM, which serves around 46 million passengers a year. The renovations include changes to facade finishes, interior and exterior lighting, walls, ceilings, flooring, waterproofing, bathroom renovations, repairs to plumbing and electrical systems and the installation of automatic doors.
✈️ En ambas terminales del Aeropuerto Internacional de la Ciudad de México, los pasajeros sortean accesos bloqueados, materiales de construcción y estructuras metálicas a medio montar. Usuarios denuncian la falta de señalización y el riesgo de circular entre vehículos con… pic.twitter.com/jNi4ZN4qGF
— La Silla Rota (@lasillarota) March 19, 2026
“We are working at full speed,” Padilla said in a radio interview on Feb. 18. “We hope that the Easter holidays will be a good exercise to test our capabilities. Unfortunately, some work will continue, but not at the scale it is currently; it will be much less.”
The director acknowledged that some sections of the Terminal 1 concourse, baggage carousels, elevators, drainage, parking, road improvements and other areas will not be ready for the World Cup, which kicks off on June 11.
However, the works that are completed by this date are expected to help improve the passenger experience for those flying through AICM, according to Padilla.
“Phase One, as we call it, which is specifically for the World Cup, will be 100% complete, and we will have 10-20% left of the work to finish after the World Cup,” José Padilla explained.
Renovations are expected to be halted during the World Cup before resuming after the tournament, between Aug. 1 and Nov 17. This second stage, known as Phase Two, was part of the original schedule.
Meanwhile, with the busy Easter, or Holy Week, holidays coming up, there are concerns about disruptions for passengers such as loud machinery noise, blocked sidewalks, out-of-service staircases, fewer waiting areas and narrower corridors.
Additionally, the ongoing dispute between ride-hailing apps, such as Uber, and taxi firms operating at the airport has caused confusion in the arrivals area. Uber and other rideshare services continue to operate at the airport; however, there are uncertainties about whether they will be permitted to collect and drop passengers off with the same liberty at AICM in the future.
With reports from El Financiero
