Flight increase! Mexican air cargo has sparked a craze
Multiple airlines are also increasing their operations in Mexico. Air Canada signaled at the end of April that it will add a fourth weekly cargo flight to AIFA (although this may be interrupted by the subsequent announcement of cancellations of orders for two B767 converted cargo aircraft).
China Southern Airlines has resumed passenger flights between Shenzhen and Mexico City, but the length of the 14147 kilometer interval severely limits cargo capacity, which will inevitably lead to a shortage of supply.
Chinese companies are vying to establish production facilities in Mexico to cope with the nearshore wave. This wave has driven trade between Mexico and the United States, and Laredo has surpassed the port of Los Angeles as the number one gateway for US imports.
Logistics companies have been building capacity in Monterey and Guadalajara to manage the growing cross-border traffic, and air freight has also grown accordingly.
With the opening of the second runway, Guadalajara Airport is preparing to accommodate more flights, which will increase the airport's operational capacity from 41 to 60-61 flights per hour. Last year, the airport handled 170000 tons of cargo.
Setting aside the nearshore trend, the second reason why emerging airports in Mexico are receiving increasing attention is the deteriorating condition of the main gateway to the capital, Mexico City International Airport (AICM).
Mainly due to the government's decree terminating cargo flights there last year, its cargo throughput in the first quarter decreased by 61% to 57235 tons. Correspondingly, the throughput of AIFA surged to 103932 tons.
AICM's freight volume will continue to be sluggish. Last August, the Civil Aviation Administration of China announced airport saturation and ordered a reduction in aircraft takeoff and landing from 52 to 43 per hour. This restriction came into effect in January this year and is expected to remain in effect for most of this year.
In the first quarter of Mexico, international air cargo volume increased by 5.4% year-on-year to 206792 tons, while domestic cargo volume decreased by 3% to 90679 tons.
With the expected increase in international passenger flow (not to mention the surge in charter flights caused by the interruption of the US border), more flights to emerging Mexican airports are being planned.