To boost and strengthen the growth of regional airports, they need certain subsidies, although this requires modifying their concession titles, according to specialists from the Grupo Aeroportuario del Centro Norte (OMA) and the Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico (GAP) .
Raúl Revuelta, director of GAP, commented that these types of subsidies are being offered between companies and could take the form, for example, of a discount on a route like Los Mochis-Manzanillo.
“It’s a regulatory issue. Currently, airport group concessions are individual and don’t allow for support. This is defined by the concession title and isn’t a matter of regulation. It’s about making a clear proposal that could be applicable to any group, both private and public,” he emphasized.
In an interview following his participation in ACI Airport Day Mexico , he stated that this is an issue being analyzed by concessionaires in the country.
Ricardo Dueñas, director of OMA, explained that this type of subsidy would not be provided by the government, but that the country’s largest airports could serve as a lever to boost smaller infrastructure .
“We have to work together; all the elements are on the table to be able to do this. It’s a job for the airlines and the airport groups to maintain very good communication, but the elements are there to be able to detonate them,” he said.
In this regard, he specified that of the 13 airports managed and operated by OMA, Monterrey would be the most suitable, as it is the largest in the group and accounts for almost half of its total traffic.
Meanwhile, Vice Admiral Eric Mario Barrera, technical corporate director of the Marina Airport Group, highlighted the need to invest in airport infrastructure, but also to encourage airlines to land there.
“Mexico has a lot of room for regional aviation, and we’re not giving it enough importance. We have 60 airports, but airlines don’t reach all of them,” he emphasized.
David Sandoval Martínez, deputy general manager of Grupo Mundo Maya Airports , mentioned that in his case the development of incentives was decisive for the arrival of airlines.
He explained that these types of incentives are granted annually , and have thereby boosted regional aviation; he also indicated that the incentives apply to airport services, parking, aprons, among others.
“We identified this need, especially in a jungle region. The connectivity and commitment of governments generates a focus of attention, and although the results were positive, the momentum and incentives are there; they were developed over a three-year period,” he noted.
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