Officials to Debate New Mexican Airport

Mexican officials are warning that abandoning the Mexico City International Airport expansion project could cost $9 billion or 170 billion pesos.

According to Mexico News Daily, prospective transportation secretary Javier Jimenez Espriu issued a warning about scrapping current airport plans and adding two additional runways at the Santa Lucía Air Force Base for civil aviation.

Jimenez Espriu said 100 billion pesos would be wasted on losses from the currently under-construction project (31 percent completed), as well as on non-recoverable contract expenses. Another 70 billion pesos would need to be spent on the changes to the air force base.

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Mexican president-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador announced Friday the two options would be put up for public consultation in late October. Officials have called for feasibility studies on both project proposals and the matter could come to a vote.

While some pundits believe the second airport would cause air traffic issues above Mexico City, aviation experts think the two facilities could coexist. On the other hand, adding two runways and the needed infrastructure to the Santa Lucía Air Force Base would result in operations beginning much sooner.

Both plans would call for major investments and could negatively impact financial markets.

Government officials have planned a series of forums to debate the two options before the public consultation, currently scheduled for late September into October.

The new airport was scheduled to open in October 2020, but the date was recently changed to the second half of 2022.