AIFA does not meet air operations goal during 2022

Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA) transported between March 21, the day it was inaugurated, and December 31, 2022, 912,415 commercial passengers on domestic and international flights (96% traveled to a national destination, mainly Cancun). .

During December, the highest number transported in a month was registered: 211,746 users.

Regarding commercial operations carried out since the opening, these totaled 8,992 and the 1,840 in December were 3% less than those of the previous month, despite the December holiday period. The peak of activity was in October with 1,870 takeoff or landing operations.

Based on AIFA statistics, last month they added (on average) 60 operations per day, half of the 120 planned by the federal government after the reduction of operations at the Mexico City International Airport (from 61 to 52). since October 31, with the argument of air and terminal saturation.

Now, with the clear intention of carrying out greater operational activity, a decree by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador is in the process of being published to close the activity to cargo airlines in the AICM, putting AIFA on the table as the first alternative.

Cancun, the great destination

Currently, Aeroméxico, VivaAerobus and Volaris fly from AIFA to 15 national destinations, of which the ones with the highest demand are: Cancún (241,810), Guadalajara (181,905), Monterrey (101,861), Los Cabos (30,839), Acapulco (20,190) and Merida (4,059).

However, the companies have not expressed interest in opening new routes from the new airport, which still does not have all the promised land accesses.

Meanwhile, in international operations, the new airline of the Dominican Republic, Arajet, positioned itself as the leader in regular passenger transport, with 11,685, followed by Copa, with 9,107. While VivaAerobus and Conviasa served 8,009 and 6,986 passengers on charter flights from Havana, Cuba, and Caracas, Venezuela.

The heat map released by AIFA (average passenger traffic concentration by day of the week, according to month) highlighted that, during March and April, the day with the highest passenger traffic was Monday.

In addition, “in May, June and July, Fridays were the largest influx of passengers. In the course of August and October, the days with the most passengers were Saturday and Sunday. Throughout September, November and December, Thursdays concentrated the largest number of mobilized passengers.

alejandro.delarosa@eleconomista.mx