Authorities at Mexico City International Airport (AICM) believe that the renovations being carried out on this infrastructure could allow for a further increase in takeoff and landing slots .
“I believe so, we are working towards that. We are building three taxiways; Delta One is already finished, which allows the aircraft to occupy the runway for the shortest possible time; the second taxiway is already under construction and will be completed in July of this year, and a third one between December and January of next year,” Admiral Juan José Padilla Olmos, general director of AICM, told T21.
However, he specified that the Federal Civil Aviation Agency (AFAC) and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will determine, through an evaluation of the AICM’s capabilities, whether it is feasible to increase the slots .
Padilla Olmos also confirmed that the slots that were taken away from Mexican and international airlines in 2022 have already been returned to them. Furthermore, he confirmed that there are no dedicated cargo planes involved in this arrangement, although if one requests it, the AFAC (Federal Civil Aviation Agency) will evaluate its potential landing at the Mexico City International Airport (AICM) .
“We haven’t received any requests from any cargo companies. They would have to submit their request, and AFAC has the directives, and as soon as we receive a request, we will forward it to the agency,” he explained.
It is worth remembering that the federal government, when it was headed by Andrés Manuel López Obrador, decreed saturation at the AICM in 2022, so the operations went from 61 to 52 and later from 52 to 43, until May 2025, when they increased to 44 and recently the increase to 46 was ordered, a measure that came into effect on June 1 .
Padilla Olmos indicated that granting a slot means 1.2 million additional passengers per year , so it is expected that with the increase to 46 operations, 2026 will close with close to 49 million travelers.
“Those 46 are now permanent, and the results will start to be reflected from December onwards because the airlines have to offer them and adjust their flights,” he explained.
In that regard, Héctor Fabián Cortés Álvarez, Deputy Director of Operations at AICM, told this media outlet that the slots that were taken away from them in 2022 have already been reinstated for US airlines Delta , American Airlines and United , as well as for Aeroméxico , Viva and Volaris , and also Avianca , while Lufthansa continues to analyze the offer.
He recalled that on May 15, takeoff and landing slots were assigned for the upcoming winter season , “some were confiscated for misuse, that is done by the AFAC, and they are told what the assignment list is, what they cancel and what they are going to use and an operational reserve is generated that we take to the Slot Convention (held in Bangkok, Thailand, from June 9 to 11).”
He explained that a reservation of 2,300 slots was achieved , plus the increase, so there were 5,600 new operations.
“That’s something we’ll see reflected through October, November, and December. International companies received refunds for about 700 transactions, and domestic companies also received refunds for previous reductions, for which 2,400 transactions were processed,” he emphasized.
In that regard, he emphasized that American Airlines requested more operations because it anticipates a greater increase in winter; additionally, Aeromexico, Volaris and Viva are requesting to increase flights, as they will start new routes to Latin America.
“Of those, 1,100 will be new operations; most already fly here, but they will increase routes,” he explained.
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