Isidoro Pastor, director general of AIFA, emphasized, in response to a question from T21, that these bonded facilities were built last March and have already been awarded , although they only need to complete the corresponding procedures with the Mexican National Customs Agency (ANAM) for them to begin operating.

“They’re ready, they’ve been awarded, and they’re being equipped. All that’s left is for the trading partners themselves to complete the paperwork with the Mexican National Customs Agency to begin foreign trade operations. They’ve told me they intend to start in late July or August,” he said.

In an interview following his participation in ACI Airport Day Mexico , he commented, without giving names, that five are new companies, only one already operating in AIFA .

As well as Talma Mexico Airport Services , which recently announced it will invest nine million dollars to build its second warehouse at the AIFA . The authorization process for the facilities began in 2022 and will end in 2032.

Isidoro Pastor commented that the current facilities have the capacity to receive 470,000 total tons , but in 2024 they will close with more than 447,000 tons, the maximum cargo handling limit.

Under this scenario, he explained that the six new facilities were built with AIFA’s own resources, and with the new infrastructure they will be able to receive almost 900 thousand tons annually .

“We have a strategic bonded facility with the capacity to carry an additional 200,000 tons, and with the expansion of the cargo platform, we can operate five regular-size aircraft simultaneously,” he said.

He assured that the additional facilities will give AIFA the necessary capacity to face the next five years , as long as there is no growth in foreign trade.

They want a train to move cargo

Although Pastor stated that it is a preliminary project promoted by the Railway Transport Regulatory Agency (ARTF) , there is interest in moving cargo via rail to and from the AIFA.

“We are currently conducting a study with the railway agency. They are determining whether it is feasible for the ports, primarily Manzanillo, Lázaro Cárdenas, Veracruz, and Salina Cruz, to transfer from ship to train, and from train to AIFA and clear customs there. However, it is still a preliminary project,” he stated.

He explained that, if this project is carried out, it would be the first intermodal airport in Latin America . He also indicated that they have the necessary land to build a rail terminal, and that after a year and a half of operation, the AIFA would be receiving nearly 200 million pesos annually in rent.

During the first five months of 2025, according to data from the Federal Civil Aviation Agency (AFAC) , the AIFA moved 152,524.5 tons, a 16.9% drop compared to the same period in 2024, when it moved 183,494.2 tons.

Pastor considered that the decline in cargo movement is due to the tariff policy imposed by the United States .

“I would encourage everyone not to focus on the AIFA. This is a phenomenon affecting all airports in general, because the tariff policies of our northern neighbor have led to a decline in foreign trade operations. These are simply precautions taken by businesses engaged in this type of activity,” he explained.

Regarding the start of operations for the extension of the Suburban Train to the AIFA, he stated that it will be next December, “although it could be sooner. The construction work is already practically 90% complete; the issue is those two or three kilometers where the social conflict is occurring.” He also indicated that testing will be conducted between October and November of this year.

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El cargo AIFA builds and awards six warehouses to increase its loading capacity apareció primero en T21.

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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El cargo Regional airports need subsidies to boost growth apareció primero en T21.