New International Airport for Mexico City

New International Airport for Mexico City
Name	New International Airport for Mexico City
Nativename	Aeropuerto Internacional de la Ciudad de México (proposed)
Location	Texcoco, State of Mexico, Mexico
Opened	proposed 2014–2018
Owner	Secretaría de Comunicaciones y Transportes
Passengers	projected 70 million (2020)

New International Airport for Mexico City

The New International Airport for Mexico City was a major aeronautical infrastructure project proposed to replace Benito Juárez International Airport by constructing a large hub on the former Texcoco Lake bed near Texcoco, State of Mexico. The project involved actors such as the Secretaría de Comunicaciones y Transportes, design firms including Foster and Partners, and financiers like the Banco Nacional de Obras y Servicios Públicos with projected links to carriers such as Aeroméxico, Volaris, and Interjet. The scheme intersected with national politics involving administrations of Enrique Peña Nieto and Andrés Manuel López Obrador and touched international organizations, firms, and controversies around environmental, social, and fiscal concerns.

Background and planning

Planning began during the administration of Felipe Calderón and accelerated under Enrique Peña Nieto after capacity constraints at Benito Juárez International Airport and forecasts from agencies such as the International Air Transport Association and ACI World projected rising passenger demand. The site selection revisited historical proposals dating to Miguel de la Madrid and referenced land-reclamation precedents like Hong Kong International Airport and Gdańsk Lech Wałęsa Airport, while environmental assessments invoked institutions such as the Secretaría de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales and studies by academic groups at the National Autonomous University of Mexico and Instituto Politécnico Nacional. Financing proposals involved instruments similar to airport bonds used for projects like Heathrow Airport expansion and partnerships resembling Public–private partnership models used at Denver International Airport.

Design and construction

Design work featured international consortia including Norman Foster, FR-EE (Fernando Romero Enterprise), and engineering firms comparable to AECOM and Arup, with architectural references to terminals by Santiago Calatrava and structural systems akin to Beijing Daxing International Airport. Construction contracts were awarded to conglomerates resembling ICA (Ingenieros Civiles Asociados), Grupo Carso, and OHL and mobilized heavy equipment such as crawler cranes featured in projects like Panama Canal expansion. The masterplan proposed a central terminal, satellite concourses, and a rail link inspired by designs for Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and Changi Airport, with runway layouts comparable to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and Charles de Gaulle Airport. Engineering challenges recalled subsidence issues from the Aztec Lake reclamation era and hydrological constraints studied by specialists associated with Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México and the Instituto Nacional de Geografía y Estadística.

Operations and facilities

Operational plans forecast handling capacities similar to global hubs like Atlanta Hartsfield–Jackson International Airport and Beijing Capital International Airport, with projected passenger volume comparisons to Dubai International Airport and cargo facilities comparable to Memphis International Airport. Proposed facilities included maintenance, repair and overhaul centers akin to Lufthansa Technik, customs and immigration areas modeled after U.S. Customs and Border Protection hubs, and retail concessions featuring brands also present at Heathrow Airport and Incheon International Airport. Air traffic management coordination anticipated collaboration with the Federal Aviation Administration and International Civil Aviation Organization, while ground support and fueling arrangements paralleled operations at Tokyo Haneda Airport and Los Angeles International Airport.

Transportation and access

Surface and rail access plans integrated with projects such as the Mexibús and the Sistema de Transporte Colectivo Metro extensions, and proposed intermodal links reflecting concepts employed by London Underground connections to Heathrow Express and the Narita Express at Narita International Airport. Highway improvements cited comparisons to Mexican Federal Highway 57 upgrades and logisticians referenced freight corridors similar to Interstate Highway System integrations used by Chicago O'Hare International Airport. Proposals for high-capacity rail evoked initiatives like High-Speed Rail (California) and the Guangzhou–Shenzhen Railway, while park-and-ride and multimodal hubs mirrored facilities at Frankfurt Airport and Zürich Airport.

Environmental and social impact

Environmental assessments highlighted concerns about wetlands loss on the Texcoco Lake bed and potential impacts on species protected under frameworks like the Convention on Biological Diversity and monitored by Mexican agencies including the Comisión Nacional para el Conocimiento y Uso de la Biodiversidad. Water management and subsidence risks were compared to cases at Mexico City Metropolitan Area historical drainage projects and urbanization studies from the Instituto Nacional de Ecología y Cambio Climático. Social impact analyses engaged communities in Atenco and civil organizations such as Movimiento por la Salud en Defensa de la Tierra, with land-rights debates referencing precedents like the Zapatista movement and agrarian disputes adjudicated in institutions akin to the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation. International conservation NGOs such as World Wildlife Fund and Greenpeace commented alongside local universities including Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana.

Controversies and political context

The airport became a focal point in electoral politics during the 2018 presidential campaign, with candidate Andrés Manuel López Obrador campaigning against project costs and corruption claims similar to controversies around Brisbane Airport and other megaproject debates. A post-election referendum organized by the incoming administration invoked institutions like the Federal Electoral Institute (IFE) and sparked litigation in venues such as the Federal Administrative Court and the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation. Allegations of cost overruns and contract irregularities drew scrutiny from oversight bodies akin to the Auditoría Superior de la Federación and investigative journalists associated with outlets similar to Proceso and El País. The cancellation decision influenced investors including BlackRock and Goldman Sachs-style firms and triggered disputes reminiscent of airline hub relocations like those around Temasek investments and infrastructure cancellations elsewhere.

Category:Airports in Mexico