Felipe Ángeles International Airport

Felipe Ángeles International Airport (Spanish: Aeropuerto Internacional Felipe Ángeles, AIFA) (IATA: NLU, ICAO: MMSM) is the second civilian airport serving the Mexico City metropolitan area; it opened on March 21, 2022.[3] It is located in Zumpango, State of Mexico, 48.8 kilometres (30 mi) north-northeast of the historic center of Mexico City by car.[4] Originally called Santa Lucía Airport (Mexican Air Force base no. 1), it was renamed after Felipe Ángeles (a general in the Mexican Revolution) in early 2021.[5] In Spanish, its initialism is AIFA.

"Santa Lucia Airport" redirects here. For other uses, see Santa Lucia Airport (disambiguation).

Felipe Ángeles International Airport


Aeropuerto Internacional Felipe Ángeles
Terminal view
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerMexican government
OperatorSEDENA
ServesState of Mexico / Mexico City
LocationSanta Lucía, Zumpango, State of Mexico, Mexico
Opened21 March 2022 (2022-03-21)
Hub forAeroUnion
Awesome Cargo
Mas Air
Mexicana de Aviación
Elevation AMSL2,246 m / 7,369 ft
Coordinates19°45′24″N 099°00′55″W
Websiteaifa.aero
www.gob.mx/aifa
Map
NLU is located in State of Mexico
NLU
NLU
Location of the airport in Mexico
NLU is located in Mexico
NLU
NLU
NLU (Mexico)
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
04R/22L 3,500 11,483 Concrete
04C/22C 4,500 14,764 Concrete
04L/22R 4,500 14,764 Concrete
Statistics (2022)
Total passengers912,415
Ranking in Mexico25th New entry
Sources: MEX,[1] STV,[2]

Construction started on October 17, 2019, after all judicial suspensions against the project were revoked. Two runways and a new terminal were planned during the first phase, which was completed on March 21, 2022, as scheduled. The airport is owned by the Mexican government[6] and operated by the Secretariat of National Defense (SEDENA) (through a subsidiary[7]).

By territorial extension, it is the largest airport in the State of Mexico and the second largest airport in the country behind Cancun International Airport.

History
Control tower of the airport

Background

The Santa Lucía Air Base was partially inaugurated in 1952, due to the need to relocate the Balbuena Military Air Field. The aerodrome was inaugurated on November 24, 1952, during the presidency of Miguel Alemán Valdés; however, the aircraft that still operated in Balbuena did not move to Santa Lucía until 1959. It came to have a runway 3,780 meters long and 75 meters wide, which at the time was the widest paved runway in the country. Mexico and was named "General Alfredo Lezama Álvarez" in honor of who was its commander from 1961 to 1964.[8]

In March 2018, as part of his campaign for the presidency, then-candidate Andrés Manuel López Obrador proposed the privatization of the Mexico City Texcoco Airport or the expansion of the Santa Lucía air base to convert it into an airport,[9] finally leaning towards the latter.

In the first half of October 2018, López Obrador, already as president-elect, called for a popular consultation organized by the Arturo Rosenblueth Foundation and a group of citizens.[10] The consultation was met with some controversy. In 2014, a law was enacted that institutes as a form of citizen participation, and the process that was carried out was a survey carried out by an individual and without official validity, where those who participated in this process could choose if they preferred to continue with the construction of the NAICM or interrupt it.[11] The result favored the construction of Santa Lucía; 311,132 people (29.08% of the total) voted for the continuity of the Texcoco project and 748,335 voted in favor of Santa Lucía (69.95%).[12]

Construction

On April 24, 2019, Mexican president Andrés Manuel López Obrador announced that construction of the new airport would commence on April 29, 2019.[13] On 12 June, a judge ordered the suspension of construction of the airport until environmental and cultural studies have been completed.[14] The Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT) announced its approval of construction of a terminal at the new airport site on July 17, 2019. Construction officially started on October 17, 2019. President López Obrador stated information regarding construction would be released in the coming days, saying transparency will be key in the project.[15][16]

The airport is intended to focus on low-cost and cargo airlines to help relieve congestion at Mexico City International Airport. Mexican architect Francisco González Pulido and military general Gustavo Vallejo are in charge of airport design. The master plan is in charge of Groupe ADP and the airspace navigability studies were made by Airbus subsidiary NAVBLUE.[17][18] The Valley of Mexico will be the first in the country where the performance-based navigation system (PBN) is used, which will allow the Felipe Ángeles International Airport, Mexico City International Airport and the Toluca International Airport to operate simultaneously without the operations of one impeding those of the others.[19]

Remains of at least 200 mammoths were discovered during the construction of the terminal area, in the former Lake Xaltocan.[20] Most of the newly discovered mammoths likely died after being trapped by mud in the ancient lake or hunted by other animals. Nothing was found that would require halting work on the airport project.[21][22]

Construction occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite social distancing and other efforts to avoid infection, at least four employees were infected with the virus, and there were 37 suspected cases along with three deaths as of June 9, 2020.[23]

President López Obrador flew on the fifteen-minute Air Force inaugural flight from the Benito Juárez International Airport in Mexico City on February 10, 2021. He was accompanied by Luis Cresencio Sandoval González (SEDENA), Claudia Sheinbaum (head of government of Mexico City), Alfredo del Mazo (governor of the State of Mexico), Omar Fayad (governor of Hidalgo), Arturo Zaldívar (president of the Supreme Court), Dolores Padierna (vice president of the Chamber of Deputies),[24] and José Rafael Ojeda Durán (SEMAR)

The airport's first terminal and two runways were officially opened on March 21, 2022.[25] The inaugural commercial passenger flight, VivaAerobús flight 3280, departed from Guadalajara and landed at AIFA on March 21.[26][27]

Access

Access to the airport is poor, being limited to road as of May 2023. A proposal has been drawn up on March 19, 2020, proposing a 23-km extension of the Tren Suburbano suburban train network to the airport, which would branch off from the current line at Lechería station and head northeast towards the field,[28][29] with delivery date in December 2023.[30] However, due to delays due to construction challenges related to the relocation of tracks designated for cargo-carrying trains, the new line is not expected to open until the April to June timeframe of 2024.

Road

One of the main vehicular entrances to the AIFA will be the road interconnection to the Circuito Exterior Mexiquense, with an approximate length of four and a half kilometers. A wide road with three entry lanes and three exit lanes and sculptures of mammoths in the central part due to the discoveries, will provide high efficiency for transfers in a short time. The development will combine public transport systems with private transport.[31]

The Mexico-Pachuca highway will also be extended towards the AIFA, in which there will be a deviation at the height of the town of Santa Lucía to connect with the airport.

It is expected that this road will be used mainly by cargo vehicles since it connects directly with the customs area and the domestic and international cargo terminal. It can also be used by passengers because there are diversions to the CEM and Camino a Tonanitla to get directly to the airport and avoid going around the loading area.

Bus services

Line I of the Mexibús bus rapid transit system connects the airport at Terminal de Pasajeros station to the Mexico City metro system at Ciudad Azteca station with a transfer at Ojo de Agua. Mexibús Line IV is to be extended to AIFA at a later date, and will connect the airport to the metro at Indios Verdes station.[32]

Autobuses de Oriente serves the airport with connections from TAPO, Indios Verdes and AICM.[33]

Luxury bus company ETN Turistar serves the airport with connections from es:Terminal Central de Autobuses del Sur, es:Terminal Central de Autobuses del Norte and es:Terminal de Autobuses de Querétaro.[34]

Airlines and destinations

Passenger
AirlinesDestinations
Aeroméxico Cancún, Guadalajara
Aeroméxico Connect Acapulco, Aguascalientes, Colima, Durango, Houston–Intercontinental, León/El Bajío, Mérida, Monterrey, Oaxaca, Puerto Vallarta, Veracruz
Arajet Santo Domingo–Las Américas
Conviasa Caracas
Copa Airlines Panama City–Tocumen
Magnicharters Havana
Mexicana de Aviación Acapulco (begins December 2, 2023),[35] Campeche (begins December 3, 2023),[35] Cancún (begins December 2, 2023),[35] Chetumal (begins December 3, 2023),[35] Ciudad Juárez (begins December 2, 2023),[35] Cozumel (begins December 3, 2023),[35] Guadalajara (begins December 2, 2023),[35] Hermosillo (begins December 2, 2023),[35] Huatulco (begins December 2, 2023),[35] Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo (begins December 2, 2023),[35] La Paz (begins December 2, 2023),[35] León/El Bajío (begins December 2, 2023),[35] Mazatlán (begins December 2, 2023),[35] Mérida (begins December 2, 2023),[35] Monterrey (begins December 2, 2023),[35] Oaxaca (begins December 3, 2023),[35] Puerto Vallarta (begins December 2, 2023),[35] San José del Cabo (begins December 2, 2023),[35] Tijuana (begins December 2, 2023),[35] Villahermosa (begins December 2, 2023)[35]
Viva Aerobus Acapulco, Cancún, Chetumal (begins April 4, 2024),[36] Chihuahua (begins January 8, 2024),[36] Ciudad Juárez (begins December 16, 2023),[36] Ciudad Obregón (begins July 4, 2024),[36] Durango (begins July 5, 2024),[36] Guadalajara (begins December 9, 2023),[36] Havana, Hermosillo, Huatulco (begins January 8, 2024),[36] Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo, Mazatlán, Mérida (begins December 16, 2023),[36] Monterrey, Nuevo Laredo (begins January 8, 2024),[36] Oaxaca, Puerto Escondido, Puerto Vallarta (resumes April 4, 2024),[36] Reynosa (begins January 8, 2024),[36] San José del Cabo (begins April 18, 2024),[36] Tampico (begins January 9, 2024),[36] Tijuana, Tulum (begins December 1, 2023),[37] Tuxtla Gutiérrez (begins April 4, 2024),[36] Veracruz (begins January 8, 2024),[36] Villahermosa (begins January 9, 2024)[36]
Volaris Cancún, Ciudad Juárez, Culiacán, Guadalajara, Huatulco, La Paz, Mérida, Mexicali, Oaxaca, Puerto Escondido, Puerto Vallarta, San José del Cabo, Tijuana

Cargo

The first cargo airline with a sustained schedule is AeroUnion, operating a route to Tijuana that began flying on September 1, 2022. [38]

Since March 2023, China Southern flies three times weekly.[39]

By July 2023, cargo operations were scheduled to cease in AICM, due to decree.[40][41]

AirlinesDestinations
ABX AirCincinnati, Guadalajara, Los Angeles
Aeroméxico Cargo Wuhan[42]
AeroUnion Bogotá, Chicago–O'Hare, Cincinnati, Guadalajara, León/El Bajío, Los Angeles, Miami, Monterrey, Tijuana
Air Canada Cargo Guadalajara, Toronto–Pearson
Air France Cargo Atlanta, Guadalajara, Houston–Intercontinental, Paris–Charles de Gaulle, Porto
Amerijet International Miami
Atlas Air Anchorage, Chicago–O'Hare, Huntsville, Indianapolis, Liege, Medellin-Cordova, Miami
Avianca CargoBogotá
Awesome Cargo[43] National
CAL Cargo Air Lines Liège, Tel Aviv
Cargojet Cincinnati, Guadalajara
Cargolux Anchorage, Dallas/Fort Worth, Guadalajara, Houston–Intercontinental, Los Angeles, Luxembourg, New York–JFK, Portland (OR)
Cargolux Italia Milan–Malpensa
Cathay Cargo Anchorage, Guadalajara, Hong Kong, Los Angeles
China Southern Cargo[39] Harbin, Los Angeles, Shanghai–Pudong, Shenzhen
DHL Aviation[44] Cincinnati, Guadalajara, Guatemala City, Los Angeles
Emirates SkyCargo[45] Copenhagen, Dubai–Al Maktoum, Frankfurt, Guadalajara, Houston–Intercontinental, Los Angeles, Quito, Zaragoza
Estafeta Air Cargo Miami, San Luis Potosí, Villahermosa
Seasonal: Mérida
Ethiopian Airlines Cargo[46] Addis Ababa
FedEx Express Anchorage, Memphis
LATAM Cargo Brasil Miami, São Paulo–Guarulhos
Lufthansa Cargo[47] Chicago O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Frankfurt, Guadalajara, New York–JFK
Mas Air Anchorage, Bogotá, Buenos Aires–Ezeiza, Campinas, Frankfurt, Greenville–Spartanburg, Guadalajara, Guatemala City, Guayaquil, Hong Kong, Lima, Los Angeles, Miami, Panama City–Tocumen, Quito, San José (CR), Santiago de Chile, Seoul–Incheon, Zhengzhou[48]
MSC Air Cargo[49] Anchorage, Indianapolis, Liege
National Airlines Cargo Anchorage, Campinas, Dallas/Fort Worth, Miami
Qatar Airways Cargo Atlanta, Bogotá, Dallas/Fort Worth, Doha, Houston–Intercontinental, Liège, Los Angeles, Luxembourg, Macau, Nagoya–Centrair, Ostend/Bruges,[50] Paris–Charles de Gaulle, Zaragoza
Silk Way Airlines Houston-Intercontinental, Miami
Tianjin Air Cargo Cincinnati
Turkish Cargo Bogotá, Chicago–O'Hare, Curaçao, Houston–Intercontinental, Istanbul, Maastricht/Aachen, Madrid
UPS Airlines Louisville

Airlines providing on-demand cargo services

Destinations map
Destinations map
Domestic destinations from Felipe Ángeles International Airport
Red = Year-round destination
Blue = Future destination
Green = Seasonal destination
Italic = Suspended destination

Statistics
Annual passenger traffic at NLU airport. See Wikidata query.

Busiest Routes
Busiest routes from Felipe Ángeles International Airport (2022)[51]
Rank City Passengers Ranking Airline
1  Quintana Roo, Cancún 117,160 New entry Aeroméxico, Viva Aerobus, Volaris
2  Jalisco, Guadalajara 68,045 New entry Aeroméxico, Viva Aerobus, Volaris
3  Nuevo León, Monterrey 53,114 New entry Aeroméxico Connect, Viva Aerobus, Volaris
4  Baja California, Tijuana 47,309 New entry Viva Aerobus, Volaris
5  Yucatán, Mérida 42,181 New entry Aeroméxico Connect, Volaris
6  Jalisco, Puerto Vallarta 24,977 New entry Aeroméxico Connect, Volaris
7  Baja California, Mexicali 20,220 New entry Volaris
8  Oaxaca, Oaxaca 18,058 New entry Aeroméxico Connect, Viva Aerobus, Volaris
9  Oaxaca, Puerto Escondido 11,472 New entry Viva Aerobus, Volaris
10  Guerrero, Acapulco 11,021 New entry Aeroméxico Connect, Viva Aerobus
11  Baja California Sur, Los Cabos 8,247 New entry Volaris
12  Baja California Sur, La Paz 7,124 New entry Volaris
13  Oaxaca, Huatulco 6,876 New entry Volaris
14  Veracruz, Veracruz 5,449 New entry Aeroméxico Connect
15  Panama, Panama City 5,094 New entry Copa Airlines

See also

References
  1.  Mexico
  2. Airport information for Santa Lucía Air Force Base Num 1 at Transport Search website.
  3. "On March 21, the three runways at the AMLO's General Felipe Ángeles Airport will begin to operate". Mexico City Post. 20 February 2022.
  4. Google Maps directions from Santa Lucía base to Zócalo, retrieved 6 November 2021
  5. "¿Quién es Felipe Ángeles y por qué el aeropuerto se llama así? ("Who was Felipe Angeles and why is the airport called that?"". El Universal (Mexico City). 2 October 2021.
  6. Espino, Manuel (17 August 2021). "Sedatu traspasa 5 hectáreas a Sedena para construcción de aeropuerto "Felipe Ángeles"". El Universal (México). Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  7. "RESOLUCIÓN por la que se autoriza la constitución de una Empresa de Participación Estatal Mayoritaria denominada Aeropuerto Internacional Felipe Ángeles, S.A. de C.V., misma que estará agrupada en el sector coordinado por la Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional". DOF - Diario Oficial de la Federación. Diario Oficial de la Federación. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  8. "Base Aérea Militar Nº 1 "P.A. Alfredo Lezama Álvarez"". Mexicoaeroespacial (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  9. "AMLO propone dos pistas en aeropuerto de Santa Lucía". www.milenio.com (in Mexican Spanish). Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  10. "¿Quiénes organizan la consulta sobre el Nuevo Aeropuerto?". Obras (in Spanish). 23 October 2018. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  11. Staff, Forbes (25 October 2018). "Inicia la consulta ciudadana sobre el futuro del nuevo aeropuerto". Forbes México (in Mexican Spanish). Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  12. "Adiós al NAIM: La opción de construir pistas en Santa Lucía gana en la consulta convocada por López Obrador". Animal Político (in Spanish). 29 October 2018. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  13. "Mexican president says new airport construction to start next week". Reuters. 24 April 2019. Retrieved 15 June 2019.
  14. "Suspenden aeropuerto de Santa Lucía hasta que tenga permisos ambientales" [Airport of Santa Lucía suspended until environmental permission is released]. CNN en Espanol (in Spanish). 12 June 2019. Retrieved 15 June 2019.
  15. "Semarnat palomea a Santa Lucia entrega dictamen sobre el nuevo aeropuerto" [Environmental agency delivers Santa Lucia Airport construction approval], Excelsior (in Spanish), Mexico City, 21 July 2019, retrieved 21 July 2019
  16. "Garantiza AMLO transparencia en el tema de Santa Lucía". El Siglo (in European Spanish). 10 October 2019. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
  17. "BNamericas - Santa Lucía airport studies go to internatio..." BNamericas.com. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
  18. "Santa Lucía se enfocaría en low-costs y carga". a21.com.mx (in Spanish). Retrieved 17 October 2019.
  19. Eduardo Murillo (29 January 2020). "Tendrá tecnología de punta el aeropuerto de Santa Lucía" [The Santa Lucia airport will have cutting-edge technology]. La Jornada (in Spanish). Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  20. "'Mammoth central' found at Mexico airport construction site". apnews. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  21. "In Mexico City, experts find bones of dozens of mammoths". ABC News. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
  22. Aitken, Peter (23 May 2020). "Experts find bones of dozens of mammoths in Mexico City". Fox News. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
  23. "Durante la construcción del aeropuerto de Santa Lucía, murieron al menos tres trabajadores por COVID-19". infobae (in European Spanish). Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  24. "El aeropuerto de Santa Lucía es "una hazaña": AMLO aterrizó por primera vez en su obra insignia". infobae (in European Spanish). 10 February 2021. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  25. "El portal único del gobierno. | gob.mx".
  26. ""¡Sí se pudo!": aterriza primer vuelo comercial en el aeropuerto de Santa Lucía". www.milenio.com. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  27. Abi-Habib, Maria; Cantú, Elda (25 March 2022). "A New International Airport Is Not Quite Ready for Takeoff". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
  28. Notimex (19 March 2020). "Ampliarán Tren Suburbano para conectar aeropuerto Felipe Ángeles ("Suburban Train will be extended to connect to Felipe Angeles Airport")". Mexico City: 24 Horas. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
  29. Noé Cruz (20 March 2020). "Conectarán Santa Lucía con el Tren Suburbano ("Santa Lucia will be connected by the Suburban Train")". Mexico City: El Universal. Retrieved 21 March 2020.
  30. "Tres ferrocarriles llegarán al Valle de México en diciembre de 2023" (in Spanish). Expansión. 31 March 2023.
  31. "Aleatica conectará el Circuito Exterior Mexiquense con Santa Lucía". Real Estate Market & Lifestyle (in European Spanish). Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  32. Carillo, Emmanuel (3 February 2022). "AIFA despegará sin Mexibús ni Suburbano; empresa operará 9 rutas de conexión". Forbes.
  33. "ADO te lleva al AIFA: ¿Cómo llegar en autobús desde la TAPO, Indios Verdes y el AICM?". Radio Fórmula. 3 May 2022.
  34. "Boletos de autobús al AIFA". ETN.
  35. "These Are Our Destinations". Mexicana (in Spanish). October 2022. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  36. "Viva Aerobus Bets Big on AIFA: 17 New Routes". Aviacionline. 28 September 2023. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  37. "Viva Aerobus announces new routes to Tulum". EnElAire (in Spanish). August 2023. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  38. "AIFA. Inicia operación de terminal de carga con vuelo de Aerounion". Grupo Milenio (in Mexican Spanish). Retrieved 7 September 2022.
  39. "China Southern Airlines inicia operaciones de carga en el AIFA" (in Spanish). T21. 6 March 2023.
  40. "El Gobierno cierra por decreto el aeropuerto de la Ciudad de México a los vuelos de carga" (in Spanish). El País. 3 February 2023.
  41. "DECRETO que establece el cierre del Aeropuerto Internacional de la Ciudad de México Benito Juárez, para las operaciones del servicio al público de transporte aéreo que se indica" (in Spanish). 2 February 2023. Archived from the original on 20 May 2023.
  42. "Aeroméxico inaugurates cargo route between Mexico and Wuhan, China" (in Spanish). May 2021. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  43. Awad-Risk, Ismael (7 December 2022). "Awesome Cargo será la primera empresa de carga en operar en el AIFA". Aviacionline (in Spanish).
  44. Valadez, Roberto; Ordaz, Yeshua (28 February 2023). "AIFA lands first DHL cargo flight". Milenio (in Spanish). Grupo Milenio. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
  45. "Emirates SkyCargo migrará operaciones del AICM al AIFA". Grupo Milenio (in Mexican Spanish). June 2023. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  46. "Ethiopian Airlines latest carrier to switch freighter flights to New Mexico City Airport". Aviation Week. 7 September 2023. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  47. "Lufthansa Cargo expands cargo service to two airports in Mexico City". The Load Star. 16 June 2023. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  48. "Mexican Carrier MasAir Begins Flying Directly to China". 4 June 2022.
  49. "Schedule". MSC Air Cargo. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
  50. Noëth, Bart (31 May 2021). "Ostend-Bruges Airport officially added to Qatar Airways Cargo Network". Aviation24.be. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  51. "Estadística operacional por origen-destino / Traffic Statistics by City Pairs" (in Spanish). Agencia Federal de Aviación Civil. January 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Felipe Ángeles International Airport.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.