The Mexican airport services agency and state authorities are planning the construction of five new airports in the coming years. These projects seek to boost economic, tourism, and logistical development in different regions of the country and respond to the growing demand for air connectivity.
Carlos Manuel Merino Campos, director of the government agency Airports and Auxiliary Services (ASA), said there are at least seven requests for construction or expansion of airports in different areas of Mexico.
Specifically, the new air terminals would be located in Baja California, Guanajuato, Jalisco and Quintana Roo.
“Our goal is to create regional development hubs and improve the economy in every way,” Merino said.
Merino explained that the Guanajuato government has officially submitted a request to build an airport in San Miguel de Allende — recently named the Best City in the World by Travel and Leisure magazine — aimed at enhancing its tourism potential.
Additionally, Jalisco would have two new airports. One would be located on the Costalegre coast, an area known for its strong tourist appeal, while the other would be in Lagos de Moreno, focusing on logistics and industrial operations due to its proximity to key trade corridors.
The Costalegre airport, known as the Chalacatepec International Airport, is near completion and expected to begin operations by the end of the year.
In Quintana Roo, plans are underway for a fifth international airport, with two possible locations currently being evaluated: the mainland of Isla Mujeres or a yet-to-be-determined area in the northern part of the state.
Merino also revealed that both the state and municipal governments, as well as business leaders, have expressed their intention to build an airport near the city of Ensenada in Baja California.
He noted that overall, developing these projects takes a considerable amount of time, as building an airport involves years of planning, feasibility studies, environmental impact assessments, and making investment decisions. However, he said that for some of these projects, planning and preliminary studies are underway, with meteorological stations already installed to evaluate whether proposed tracts of land are suitable for an airport.
“We need large areas. We are discussing land sizes ranging from 500 to 1,000 hectares to ensure sufficient capacity for the airport expansion,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Navy Ministry (SEMAR) is seeking to take over operations at several more Mexican airports via the Navy Airport Group. The Navy currently manages Mexico City International Airport (AICM) and several regional airports, but seeks to expand its portfolio. It has initiated the process of assuming the management and operation of six additional commercial airports in the country. These include the air terminals of Lázaro Cárdenas, Tuxpan, Islas Marías, San Felipe, Guaymas and Puerto Libertad airports.
According to the SEMAR, managing these leisure and business air terminals would boost the economy. However, it said that first the new terminals need infrastructure improvements in order to receive commercial flights on a regular basis.
With reports from Aviación 21, Forbes México and Bi Noticias
