Since mid-June, a variety of cargo companies have moved their operations to Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA) from Mexico City International Airport (AICM) in response to the latter’s saturation problems. This week, two Mexican airlines joined: AeroUnion and mas Cargo Airline.

Both cargo airlines have been flying sporadically at AIFA, but during the second week of August, they will progressively move their operations. AeroUnion and mas are Mexico’s largest cargo airlines in terms of international flights.

mas operates with two Airbus A330-200 (P2F), one A330-300 (P2F), and two Boeing 767-300 (F). Among its destinations are Guadalajara (GDL), Mexico; Frankfurt (FRA), Germany; Buenos Aires/Ezeiza (EZE), Argentina; Campinas/Viracopos (VCP) and Manaus (MAO), Brazil; Santiago (SCL), Chile; Zhengzhou (ZGO), China; Bogotá (BOG), Colombia; Seoul (ICN), South Korea; San José (SJO), Costa Rica; Quito (UIO), Ecuador; Greenville-Spartanburg (GSP), Los Angeles and Anchorage (ANC), United States; Guatemala City (GUA), Panama City Panama (PTY).

On the other hand, AeroUnion operates with a fleet of three Airbus A300B4-600 (F) and two Boeing 767-200 (ER) (BDSF). It regularly flies to Guadalajara (GDL), Mérida (MID), and Tijuana (TIJ), Mexico; Bogotá (BOG) and Medellín/Rionegro (MDE), Colombia; San José (SJO), Costa Rica; Chicago/O’Hare (ORD), Los Angeles (LAX), Miami (MIA), and New York (JFK), United States; Guatemala City Guatemala (GUA); Lima (LIM), Peru.

Estafeta is another Mexican airline that has announced its move and estimates that it will need more than a year to complete all its operations in the new airport, with an investment of USD 20 million, to establish a logistics center for shipments to 60 cities in its network. Just like Awesome Air Cargo, which will operate with Airbus A330-200 (P2F).

The relocation of cargo airlines from AICM to AIFA

The relocation of these airlines has required considerable time and thorough analysis of the implications and costs involved. Initially, the government set a deadline of 90 working days for concessionaires and permit holders to complete the move, but due to requests for a longer period from industry stakeholders, authorities extended the deadline to 148 days: until September 1, 2023.

To date, about 16 cargo airlines have begun their operations at AIFA between mid-June and August, which include Air Canada Cargo, Air France Cargo, Amerijet, Cargolux, Cathay Pacific Cargo, China Southern Cargo, DHL (operated by Cargojet), Emirates SkyCargo, Lufthansa Cargo, and Qatar Airways Cargo.

Felipe Ángeles International Airport has a cargo terminal that offers amenities and facilities for airlines, with customs posts, tax precincts, and MARS (Multi-Aircraft Remote Stands) positions. The government emphasizes that AIFA has been specifically designed to serve cargo planes, including those with nose doors like the Boeing 747. In addition, the ability to accommodate containers up to 12 meters long provides flexibility in cargo operations.

AIFA’s two operational runways, 4L/22R and 4C/22C, are 4,500 meters long and 45 meters wide, and were built with hydraulic concrete and equipped with state-of-the-art lighting and navigation assistance systems.