The area of Mexico City International Airport (AICM) designated for cargo handling “is now a desert,” a source working closely with the bonded warehouses told T21.
It’s not surprising. The capital’s airport has experienced an annual drop of 61% in air cargo handling during the period from January to April of this year, totaling 76,208.9 tons of goods, according to statistics from the Federal Civil Aviation Agency (AFAC).
For decades, AICM led the country’s air cargo records. However, since September 1 of last year, airlines dedicated to cargo transportation have not been allowed to land at this airport, as strictly mandated by a presidential decree.
This caused most of these airlines to start connecting with Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA), one of the infrastructure projects promoted by the current federal administration. During the first four months of this year, AIFA has handled 142,979 tons of goods, making it the air hub with the highest record nationwide.
It is worth noting that AIFA began air cargo operations just in the first quarter of last year.
The surge in cargo handled at AIFA has caused some “side effects.” The consulting firm CBRE recently stated that this airport has started to exert greater logistical influence on the industrial real estate market in its surroundings. So far in 2024, new developments (warehouse areas) have begun construction, with a growing presence in the emerging Zumpango-AIFA corridor.
National Report
The report from AFAC indicates that during the period from January to April of this year, air cargo in the country grew by 5.5% on a year-on-year basis, reaching 403,450.1 tons or 21,195.1 tons more than in the same period of 2023.
However, this growth was not seen at some airports. In this case, Querétaro decreased by 5.4%, Guadalajara by 4.6%, and Cancún by 4.2 percent.
At the national level, the movement of goods by air barely increased by 0.4%, according to the compared periods, rising from 123,363.5 tons to 123,845.1 tons. This result was influenced by a 75% drop on the Mexico-Guadalajara route.
Meanwhile, in international movement, there was an increase of 8%, ending the January-April period with 279,605 tons.
The route with the greatest decline was Memphis-Guadalajara, which ended the period with a year-on-year decrease of 33.8%.
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