Felipe Ángeles International Airport

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

Felipe Ángeles International Airport

AIFA Logo.svg
Aeropuerto Internacional Felipe Ángeles (NLU)
Aeropuerto Internacional Felipe Ángeles, Zumpango (9).jpg
Terminal view
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerSEDENA
OperatorAeropuerto Internacional Felipe Ángeles S.A. de C.V.
ServesState of Mexico / Mexico City
LocationSanta Lucía, Zumpango, State of Mexico, Mexico
Opened21 March 2022
(2 years ago) (2022-03-21)
Coordinates19°45′24″N 099°00′55″W / 19.75667°N 99.01528°W / 19.75667; -99.01528Coordinates: 19°45′24″N 099°00′55″W / 19.75667°N 99.01528°W / 19.75667; -99.01528
Websitewww.gob.mx/aifa aifa.aero
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)
NLU is located in North America
NLU
NLU
NLU (North America)
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
Sources: MEX,[1] STV,[2]

Felipe Ángeles International Airport (IATA: NLU, ICAO: MMSM) is the second airport serving the Mexico City metropolitan area, 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, it was named after Felipe Ángeles (a general in the Mexican Revolution) in early 2021.[5]

Construction started on October 17, 2019, with a symbolic ceremony and a short video presentation after all judicial suspensions against the airport 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 operated by the Secretariat of National Defense (SEDENA), which receives the airport's earnings.[6][7][8]

By territorial extension it is the largest airport in the State of Mexico and the third largest airport in the country (behind Mexico City International Airport and 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 moved 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.[9]

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,[10] 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.[11] 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.[12] The result favored the construction of Santa Lucía, 310,463 people (29% of the total) voted for the continuity of the Texcoco project and 747,000 voted in favor of Santa Lucía (69%).[13]

Construction

On April 24, 2019, Mexican president Andrés Manuel López Obrador announced that construction of the new airport would commence on April 29, 2019.[14] On 12 June, a judge ordered the suspension of construction of the airport until environmental and cultural studies have been completed.[15] 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.[16][17]

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.[18][19] 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.[20]

Remains of at least 200 mammoths were discovered during the construction of the terminal area, in the former Lake Xaltocan.[21] 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.[22][23]

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.[24]

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),[25] and José Rafael Ojeda Durán (SEMAR)

The airport's first terminal and two runways were officially opened on March 21, 2022.[26] The inaugural commercial passenger flight, VivaAerobús flight 3280, departed from Guadalajara and landed at AIFA on March 21.[27][28]

Access

Rail

Main article: Tren Suburbano

On March 19, 2020, a proposed 23-km extension of the Tren Suburbano commuter train was announced, which would branch off from the current line at Lechería station and head northeast, terminating at the airport.[29][30] With delivery date in June 2023.

Bus

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 an extension to AIFA to be completed by the time of the airport's opening. 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.[31]

Car

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.[32]

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.

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

AirlinesDestinations
Aeroméxico Cancún, Guadalajara
Aeroméxico Connect Acapulco, Mérida, Monterrey, Oaxaca, Puerto Vallarta, Veracruz
Arajet Santo Domingo–Las Américas
Conviasa Caracas
Copa Airlines Panama City–Tocumen
Magnicharters Havana
VivaAerobús Acapulco, Cancún, Guadalajara, Havana (begins December 1, 2022),[33] Monterrey, Oaxaca, Puerto Escondido
Seasonal: Tijuana (begins December 14, 2022)[34]
Volaris Cancún, Guadalajara, Huatulco, La Paz, Mérida, Mexicali, Oaxaca, Puerto Escondido, Puerto Vallarta, San José del Cabo, Tijuana

Cargo

The only cargo airline with a sustained schedule is AeroUnion, operating a route to Tijuana that began flying on September 1st, 2022. [35]

AirlinesDestinations
AeroUnion Los Angeles, Tijuana
Mas Air Zhengzhou

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. ^ "What Is Next for Mexico City Airport After Mega Project Axed?". Retrieved 9 November 2018.
  7. ^ "Entre banderas y militares, inician obras en aeropuerto de Santa Lucía". www.milenio.com. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
  8. ^ "Va aeropuerto, revocan última suspensión contra Santa Lucía". Excélsior (in Spanish). 16 October 2019. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
  9. ^ "Base Aérea Militar Nº 1 "P.A. Alfredo Lezama Álvarez"". Mexicoaeroespacial (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  10. ^ "AMLO propone dos pistas en aeropuerto de Santa Lucía". www.milenio.com (in Mexican Spanish). Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  11. ^ "¿Quiénes organizan la consulta sobre el Nuevo Aeropuerto?". Obras (in Spanish). 23 October 2018. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  12. ^ Staff, Forbes (25 October 2018). "Inicia la consulta ciudadana sobre el futuro del nuevo aeropuerto". Forbes México (in Mexican Spanish). Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  13. ^ "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.
  14. ^ "Mexican president says new airport construction to start next week". Reuters. 24 April 2019. Retrieved 15 June 2019.
  15. ^ "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.
  16. ^ "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
  17. ^ "Garantiza AMLO transparencia en el tema de Santa Lucía". El Siglo (in European Spanish). 10 October 2019. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
  18. ^ "BNamericas - Santa Lucía airport studies go to internatio..." BNamericas.com. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
  19. ^ "Santa Lucía se enfocaría en low-costs y carga". a21.com.mx (in Spanish). Retrieved 17 October 2019.
  20. ^ 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.
  21. ^ "'Mammoth central' found at Mexico airport construction site". apnews. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  22. ^ "In Mexico City, experts find bones of dozens of mammoths". ABC News. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
  23. ^ Aitken, Peter (23 May 2020). "Experts find bones of dozens of mammoths in Mexico City". Fox News. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
  24. ^ "Durante la construcción del aeropuerto de Santa Lucía, murieron al menos tres trabajadores por COVID-19". infobae (in European Spanish). Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  25. ^ "El aeropuerto de Santa Lucía es "una hazaña": AMLO aterrizó por primera vez en su obra insignia". infobae (in European Spanish). Infobae. 10 February 2021. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  26. ^ "El portal único del gobierno. | gob.mx".
  27. ^ ""¡Sí se pudo!": aterriza primer vuelo comercial en el aeropuerto de Santa Lucía". www.milenio.com. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  28. ^ 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.
  29. ^ 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.
  30. ^ 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.
  31. ^ Carillo, Emmanuel (3 February 2022). "AIFA despegará sin Mexibús ni Suburbano; empresa operará 9 rutas de conexión". Forbes.
  32. ^ "Aleatica conectará el Circuito Exterior Mexiquense con Santa Lucía". Real Estate Market & Lifestyle (in European Spanish). Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  33. ^ "Routes". Viva Aerobus. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  34. ^ "VivaAerobus to launch AIFA-Tijuana route for seasonal demand". El Economista (in Spanish). October 2022. Retrieved 21 October 2022.
  35. ^ "AIFA. Inicia operación de terminal de carga con vuelo de Aerounion". Grupo Milenio (in Mexican Spanish). Retrieved 7 September 2022.

External links

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