by Donald Wood
Last updated: 11:53 AM ET, Thu April 25, 2019
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador announced the construction of the country's newest airport will begin Monday, despite reports the facility would reach saturation just 10 years after it opens.
According to Agence France-Presse, Lopez Obrador made the announcement during the 2019 Aerospace Fair at Santa Lucia Air Force Base, which will be transformed into a new commercial airport expected to open in 2021.
Lopez Obrador said the project is expected to cost an estimated $4.15 billion to complete and will be named after Mexican Revolution military hero Felipe Angeles. The president also said abandoning the $13 billion Mexico City airport project will not only save the country money, but it also helped the Santa Lucia base avoid closure.
In addition to reports the Santa Lucia project will be over budget, the Institute of Engineering at the National Autonomous University said the flights being redirected to the facility from Mexico City and Toluca will result in the facility reaching capacity within just 10 years.
Officials revealed the Santa Lucia, Mexico City and Toluca airports would have a combined capacity of around 80 million passengers each year by 2032, but the demand is expected to exceed capacity.
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