Texcoco Airport project

Texcoco Airport project
Name	Texcoco Airport project
Native name	Aeropuerto Internacional de la Ciudad de México (NAICM) – Texcoco
Location	Lake Texcoco, Texcoco de Mora, State of Mexico
Status	Cancelled
Owner	Grupo Aeroportuario de la Ciudad de México
Planned opening	2020 (cancelled)
Architect	Norman Foster, Fernando Romero (FR-EE)
Capacity	100 million passengers (planned)

Texcoco Airport project was a large-scale proposal to build a new international airport at the former Lake Texcoco basin near Mexico City to replace Benito Juárez International Airport. Conceived during the administration of Enrique Peña Nieto and promoted by Mexican federal authorities, the project attracted attention from international firms such as Surbana Jurong, Foster and Partners, and investors like Grupo Aeroméxico while generating controversy involving activists including Julieta Ponce de León and organizations such as Greenpeace Mexico.

Background and planning

Planning emerged from chronic congestion at Benito Juárez International Airport and projections by agencies like International Air Transport Association and Airport Council International anticipating passenger growth for Mexico City Metropolitan Area. The site selection followed studies by consultants including Jacobs Engineering and negotiations with local municipalities like Texcoco de Mora and Ecatepec de Morelos, and involved regulatory input from bodies such as Secretaría de Comunicaciones y Transportes and Agencia Federal de Aviación Civil. Proponents cited precedents like Beijing Daxing International Airport and Heathrow Airport expansion while opponents referenced the histories of Valle de México hydrology and the legacy of Lake Texcoco reclamation efforts dating to the Spanish colonization of the Americas.

Design and proposed features

Design concepts showcased a main terminal by Foster and Partners and a masterplan by Mexican firm FR-EE led by Fernando Romero, proposing a single linear terminal inspired by projects such as Beijing Capital International Airport and capacity models used at Dubai International Airport and Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Planned features included integrated rail links to Buenavista railway station, a connection to Metro Line A (Mexico City Metro), and multimodal access similar to Gare du Nord and Shinjuku Station. Technical components referenced standards from International Civil Aviation Organization and included runways, cargo terminals with logistics modeled after Hong Kong International Airport, baggage systems comparable to Changi Airport, and emergency response coordination with agencies like Protección Civil.

Environmental and social impact

Environmental assessments involved institutions such as Comisión Nacional del Agua and academics from National Autonomous University of Mexico and Instituto Politécnico Nacional, addressing concerns from groups like World Wildlife Fund and Greenpeace International. Critics warned of impacts on aquifers linked to Basin of Mexico hydrology, heritage sites associated with Tenochtitlan and Teotihuacan cultural landscapes, and bird habitats for species monitored by BirdLife International and Convention on Biological Diversity. Social impacts touched communities in Atenco and San Salvador Atenco, invoking memories of clashes in 2002 and 2006 that involved organizations such as Comisión Nacional de los Derechos Humanos and activists connected to Centro de Derechos Humanos Miguel Agustín Pro Juárez.

Political debate and legal challenges

The project became a focal point in electoral politics involving Partido Revolucionario Institucional, Partido Acción Nacional, and Movimiento Regeneración Nacional. Critics included politicians like Andrés Manuel López Obrador and civil society coalitions such as Yo Soy 132 and Coalición de Movimientos de Afectados por las Presas y en Defensa de los Ríos. Legal challenges were filed in Mexican courts and administrative tribunals, citing environmental impact statements and procedures overseen by Secretaría del Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales and the Tribunal Federal de Justicia Administrativa. International attention involved statements by bodies such as International Monetary Fund and World Bank observers and responses from corporate investors including Aéroports de Paris and ADI (infrastructure investors).

Construction and cancellation

Construction began with contractors including the consortium led by Odebrecht-linked suppliers and engineering firms such as ICA and global partners; early works involved earthmoving on the former Lake Texcoco lakebed and relocation plans for local services coordinated with Comisión Federal de Electricidad and Sistema de Aguas de la Ciudad de México. Following the 2018 presidential election, incoming president Andrés Manuel López Obrador organized a public consultation and announced suspension of the project, favoring expansion of Felipe Ángeles International Airport at Santa Lucía and upgrades to Benito Juárez International Airport. Cancellation triggered discussions about contractual penalties, sovereign decisions, and investor disputes involving arbitration frameworks like those under International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes and trade partners such as United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement stakeholders.

Aftermath and site remediation

After cancellation, authorities led by the new administration and agencies such as Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional and Secretaría de Infraestructura, Comunicaciones y Transportes initiated site stabilization and remediation efforts, addressing subsidence and groundwater management in the Valley of Mexico. Proposals for repurposing included urban parks inspired by High Line (New York City), ecological reserves similar to Cheonggyecheon, and research centers with universities like Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México and institutions such as Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología. Debates over compensation and legacy involved international law firms, municipal governments like Ecatepec de Morelos and Nezahualcóyotl, and regional planning agencies coordinating with Comisión Nacional para el Desarrollo de los Pueblos Indígenas and cultural bodies including Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia.

Category:Airports in Mexico Category:Cancelled airport projects Category:Mexico City