The Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA) has now been operating for over four years ; I suddenly realize that, contrary to what I never imagined, and given my well-deserved reputation as a detractor, I’m ending up choosing it almost as often as I choose Benito Juárez International Airport (AICM) when flying to and from the Valley of Mexico, where I live. I think I’m not the only one, especially now that it finally has its train service to and from Buenavista in Mexico City and the Tlalnepantla area in the State of Mexico.
Undoubtedly, at least in my case, it all boils down to economics and flight schedules. While the fares airlines have offered me are higher than those advertised from the virtually inaccessible “López Mateos” airport in Toluca, which has fewer flights and worse schedules, at AIFA they end up being lower than those at AICM, which generally offers more flight options. Added to this is the lower Airport Use Fee and parking fees. Furthermore, I recently confirmed that the “AIFA Pass”—now “Conecta AIFA”—does indeed cover some toll costs for passengers, but it doesn’t simplify transfers, which, in my opinion, is the Achilles’ heel of this airport infrastructure. Of course, the question of the origin of the subsidies that make this possible is unavoidable, but I feel that all Mexicans know the answer: the taxpayers’ money .
Ultimately, even considering the cost and risk of ground transportation, like a taxi, my finances end up being grateful for the prices at AIFA . And let’s not kid ourselves, money is tight, so much so that passengers “turn a blind eye” to having to use such dangerous roads as the highways and freeways of the State of Mexico, just to save a little money.
The truth is that AIFA has now completed four years of operation, and its success is increasingly satisfying users. Cargo operators, for example, don’t want to leave, even though there are signs that they could return to AICM if they so desired. Meanwhile, passengers, even the most demanding and critical ones (as I understand), have a fantastic time at its facilities when boarding or arriving on a flight. Furthermore, the quality of experience I’ve had in its terminal building is unmatched by any other airport in the country, so I have no qualms about stating that I consider AIFA to be the best airport in Mexico today, I reiterate, from the perspective of the experience in terms of facilities and services.
But be careful! I’m not justifying its construction; I maintain my position that the New International Airport of Mexico City (NAICM) in Texcoco should have been completed and put into operation , forever closing the chapter on the history of the AICM. I also reiterate my opinion that civilian airfields should not be managed by military entities, as is the case in the Santa Lucía area of the State of Mexico.
The fact is that, however efficient and economically attractive AIFA may be for the user, and however convenient some consumers may be using it and positively rating the experience, the reality is that, like all the ventures that former President López bequeathed to Mexico, it is costing the country dearly, excessively so, I would say.
I’ve said it several times: AIFA is a great airport in terms of architecture and services, but it’s very poorly located, poorly planned, very costly for the public treasury, and one that should never have been built .
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