“This investment strategy responds to a projected 4% annual growth in passenger numbers, which will represent an increase of 32 million additional travelers in the country by the end of the six-year term,” the federal agency stated.

This historic amount will boost connectivity and generate more than 200,000 direct and indirect jobs in airport modernization and expansion projects, he emphasized.

Mexico City International Airport (AICM) , Puerto Escondido, Tepic, Cancún, Guadalajara, Tijuana, and Monterrey are among the airports that will be modernized.

Public investment will be 22,749 million pesos during the six-year term, of which 8,491 million pesos will be spent during 2025, and is comprised of the Secretariat of the Navy (Semar) and the Secretariat of National Defense (Defense) .

On the other hand, the Southeast Airport Group (Asur) , the Pacific Airport Group (GAP), and the North Central Airport Group (OMA) will invest 102,587 million pesos during the six-year term and 20,936 million pesos this year.

While the mixed investment will be 7,179 million pesos during the six-year term and 4,301 million pesos in 2025, under the responsibility of Airports and Auxiliary Services (ASA) and the Mexico City Airport Group (GACM) .

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Airports across Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) are experiencing the effects of climate change – higher temperatures, rising sea levels and stronger storms –  that threaten critical airport infrastructure and impact air operations.

According to the study Adaptation of Airports in Latin America and the Caribbean to Climate Change, prepared in collaboration with the International Council of Airports in Latin America and the Caribbean (ACI-LAC) and Manchester Metropolitan University, 83% of respondents are already experiencing the effects of climate change , and 100% expect to be affected by 2050.

Additionally, 91% of respondents are already experiencing or expect to experience higher average and extreme temperatures, 89% are experiencing or expect an increase in precipitation, and 83% are experiencing more frequent or more intense storms.

Climate change will alter ecosystems and change species migration patterns. New bird migration patterns may cause an increase in bird strikes, which has operational and safety impacts.

Thus, 57% of respondents are already experiencing or expect to experience changes in wildlife patterns at some point in the future, and the remainder are already experiencing changes.

Strong winds can impact airport operations, reducing capacity and causing delays. In this regard, 49% are already experiencing changes in wind patterns , and 41% expect to experience changes in the short and medium term.

“Increased precipitation, higher average and extreme temperatures, increased storms and rising sea levels are the climate impacts that respondents expect to pose the greatest challenge to their airports,” the study said.

In this regard, airports in the region are beginning to carry out climate change risk assessments and implement adaptation measures, however, “given the magnitude of the effects of climate change expected in the region, it is vital to increase and accelerate actions.”

The study noted that this phenomenon is increasingly affecting the Latin American and Caribbean region, threatening critical airport infrastructure and aircraft operations. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, created in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), identifies Central and South America as highly vulnerable and strongly impacted by climate change, highlighting temperature increases and changes in rainfall patterns as key risks across the region, and rising sea levels as a threat in coastal areas.

“As a result, there is a growing need for airports in the region to adapt and build resilience to the impacts of climate change. This is essential to reduce vulnerabilities – both damage and costs – while protecting service continuity and critical infrastructure. Awareness of the potential impacts of climate change and the need to adapt and build resilience is increasing across the sector, and more and more airports in the region and around the world are beginning to conduct climate change risk assessments and develop adaptation strategies,” the study said.

Under this scenario, it was recommended to continue and increase current actions to raise awareness of the potential impacts on airports in the region, as well as current actions to coordinate, collaborate, promote learning and share good practices through peer support, bilateral meetings, working groups, workshops and conferences, as well as other international forums.

It also promotes and supports risk assessments, provides information and access to existing guidance on the implementation of adaptation measures, plans and strategies, and collaborates with academia.

“We need to act immediately to raise awareness, promote climate risk assessment and implement adaptation measures to achieve an airport sector in LAC that is well adapted and resilient to the impacts of looming climate change,” the study reads.

From the survey, 35 individual responses were received from 32 airports or groups of airports across the LAC region, corresponding to 53 airports in total, around 15% of the 365 ACI-LAC member airports.

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NASSAU, BHS. – The growth of aviation has had a direct impact on Latin America’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) , which is why Roberto Alvo, CEO of LATAM Airlines  and now President of the Executive Committee of the Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA) , highlighted the fact that aviation grew 3.6 times in the region, thanks to a collective effort by all stakeholders.

However, Alvo stressed that there are still structural challenges that hinder the development of activity in the region. These include insufficient infrastructure, with almost 54% of airports in congested conditions , as well as the high cost of fuel in Latin America, surpassed only by India at a global level.

“In countries like Colombia, more than 60% of the cost of an airline ticket goes to taxes, which limits access to a means of transportation that, in a region of long distances and geographical barriers, is essential for the population,” Alvo added.

José Ricardo Botelho, CEO of ALTA, highlighted the urgency of improving airport infrastructure and the need to reduce operating costs , which in Latin America and the Caribbean are among the highest in the world.

In this context, the launch of the Competitiveness Index was announced , a tool designed to analyse and compare the conditions that impact the costs of flying in the region.

“This index will help us identify key areas for progress and improvement,” Botelho said.

In this regard, during the formal inauguration of the ALTA AGM & Airline Leaders Forum 2024 , Kenneth Romer, Director General of the Ministry of Tourism, Investments and Aviation of the Bahamas, underlined the importance of this location as a strategic hub for connectivity in the Caribbean and highlighted the country’s commitment to being a model of sustainability and environmental responsibility in the region.

For this reason, as previously mentioned, the representative explained that the Bahamas launched its Strategic Aviation Plan , an initiative that aims to build a sustainable, efficient sector aligned with the highest international standards.

This plan, which includes investment in infrastructure and training of aviation professionals , reinforces the country’s commitment to remain at the forefront of the industry, ensuring that all its airports, from the center of Nassau to the smallest airport complexes on remote islands, meet international standards of safety, efficiency and sustainability.

For his part, the Prime Minister of the Bahamas, Philip Edward Davis, highlighted the importance of this forum, which coincides with Aviation Week in the Bahamas, since “ connectivity is the engine of our economy and fundamental to daily life in the Bahamas ,” he said.

“From the smallest islands to our international airports, every connection ensures that our population can access essential services and opportunities,” he added.

Davis also stressed the region’s responsibility in terms of sustainability, highlighting the Bahamas’ rich biodiversity and its commitment to sustainable aviation practices that preserve the environment for future generations.

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For this year, which will be marked by the change of federal Government, the Mexico City International Airport (AICM) will carry out an investment of two billion 200 million pesos for maintenance, conservation, and modernization works.

This was announced by Rear Admiral José Ramón Rivera Parga, general director of the AICM, during the morning conference on May 2, where he specified that, of this amount, one billion 495 million pesos correspond to fiscal resources and 705.7 million pesos are from the airport’s own funds.

He pointed out that some of these works are already in progress, while the majority are in public tender.

The director detailed that 558.6 million pesos will be invested in the acquisition of 18 X-ray machines and 10 computed tomography scanners for the review of checked baggage to replace the existing equipment due to age. In addition, to reinforce the inspection points, 17 X-ray machines and 12 explosive detectors will be acquired.

He added that 547.1 million pesos will be invested in rehabilitation works on the runways and mentioned that this month work has already begun on runway 05 right 23 left, which consists of cutting and replacing the asphalt pavement, work on lateral margins, safety strips, and trenches, as well as restructuring and adaptation of electrical systems and modernization of LED lighting systems.

488.9 million pesos will be invested in various maintenance, preventive, and corrective works on the facilities such as roof waterproofing, repair of leaks and filtrations; repairs to the rainwater drainage system; painting of buildings, replacement of ceilings, and floors in some areas, among others.

Rivera Parga commented that 331.9 million pesos will be invested to rehabilitate Taxiway Bravo, which is the most important and trafficked by aircraft at Terminal 1.

“This maintenance is necessary because its reconstruction from the base, subbase, and up to the asphalt pavement is necessary, as a result of ground settlements and water seepage into the subbase,” he explained.

The director announced that two studies and projects worth 86.8 million pesos are also planned, which will allow the execution of works scheduled for 2025.

In addition, 50 million pesos will be invested for the multi-year maintenance of drainage systems and pump rooms for runways and taxiways.

He indicated that both terminals will have their sanitary cores rehabilitated, works that involve adjustments and replacement of hydraulic, sanitary, and electrical installations, as well as the replacement of bathroom furniture, for which they will invest 39.3 million pesos.

With an amount of 35.5 million pesos, 12 elevators will be replaced; in addition to the planned acquisition of a vehicle with a height rescue ladder for the Salvage and Firefighting team, for an amount of 32.8 million pesos. Also, he added, 29.8 million pesos will be invested in the replacement of air conditioning equipment.

Balance of Velázquez Tiscareño’s management

For his part, the former general director of the AICM, Carlos Ignacio Velázquez Tiscareño, gave a balance during his tenure – from July 2022 to March 2024 – and commented that, upon his arrival, they found various irregularities, the main one being the vacuum of authority characterized by lack of order; lack of communication and coordination among authorities prevailed, as well as corruption in Immigration and Customs areas.

He also mentioned delays in all passenger service processes, such as immigration and customs procedures, baggage delivery, baggage theft; and airlines that did as they pleased at the expense of the passenger, prioritizing their commercial interests and outside the law.

He also mentioned illegally occupied spaces with a heavy accumulation of debts, which negatively impacted the airport’s finances, unjustifiably tolerated. “In short, the authority at the airport was not in charge.”

For this reason, he said, from 2022 to 2024, an investment of four billion 269.9 million pesos will have been made between fiscal resources and self-generated resources. “During this administration and to date, there have been no complaints, not even dissatisfaction, about the bidding processes, although there have been annoyances in some cases,” he said.

Velázquez Tiscareño said that resources grew in six main areas: runways, terminal buildings, equipment, electrical systems, studies and projects, as well as routine maintenance, which added up to a total of two billion 69.2 million pesos.

He added that 613.6 million pesos were paid for acquisitions for the modernization and maintenance of terminal buildings, highlighting the structural reinforcement of T2, which was carried out by the Government of Mexico City, without affecting operations or passengers.

408.7 million pesos were invested to modernize existing equipment, highlighting the acquisition of five firefighting and extinguishing units, he said.

Velázquez Tiscareño mentioned that 89.9 million pesos were spent to modernize electrical substations, visual aid systems on runways, and the rehabilitation of drainage systems and pump rooms.

Likewise, 33.4 million pesos were spent on executive projects, necessary for the execution of ongoing works, and, in addition to all the above, routine maintenance was carried out on various facilities on the air and ground sides for an amount of 298.3 million pesos.

To address airport saturation, he commented, the management of schedules was improved, since previously an average of 600 illegal flights per month were counted that did not correspond to the official assigned schedule, this for purely economic purposes of the airlines.

With full knowledge and participation of the airlines, measures ordered by the authorities were adopted, a first reduction from 61 to 52 operations per hour was applied, schedules were no longer assigned to cargo airlines due to the closure of the airport to such dedicated cargo operations and were moved to the Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA). He recalled that this year also saw the entry into force of the second reduction from 51 to 43 operations per hour.

To improve security at the airport, the Integral Airport Security Strategy was implemented, so since February 2022, 1,500 naval elements have been commissioned to security tasks.

This measure, he added, was complemented months later when in July 2022 the airport administration was assumed and the figure of Single Command was created by presidential order to strengthen decision-making, coordination, and management capabilities, and to address bottlenecks and authority vacuums as mentioned at the beginning.

“With this change of direction, organized crime is combated more efficiently, mainly in immigration and customs areas,” he stressed.

Bag thefts and lootings were drastically reduced, and in less than two years, 819 attempts to steal luggage were thwarted, robberies to users were reduced, mainly in currency exchange houses, with an ongoing strategy of reordering them and reducing them by half.

He highlighted the seizures of approximately 10,629.425 kilograms of various illicit substances, nine thousand 241 kilos of methamphetamines, 324.62 kilos of fentanyl, 192.625 kilos of cocaine, and 871 kilos of other psychotropic substances, among other actions.

With information from  A21

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