López Obrador announced the air taxi service at AIFA

President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) announced that the new Felipe Angeles International Airport (AIFA), which will be inaugurated next Monday, March 21, will be serviced by air taxis from some areas of Mexico City such as Polanco.

From the facilities of the 3rd Infantry Battalion in Minatitlán, Veracruz, where he led his morning conference, López Obrador reiterated that the new airport is a “great work” that is a pride for Mexico. However, he stressed that it is a service that most of the population cannot have, since the poorest mobilize by land.

“This airport thing is a great work, a pride for Mexico. We must also think that unfortunately not all of us can travel by plane. I don't know, but I think 30 or 40 percent of the population can travel. I mean, to locate us, because most of the people who have to move do so by truck, where it is cheaper for them. So let's get down to that first. Mexico belongs to everyone, rich and poor,” he said.

However, he assured that AIFA is a work that will benefit many people “not only those who live in Las Lomas (in Chapultepec) but also those who live in Ecatepec and those who live in Gustavo A. Madero and those who live in Pachuca, in Huehuetoca, who are millions; because we are thinking of Felipe Angeles Airport if we live in Santa Fe or Las Lomas, but if we live in Gustavo A. Madero or Ecatepec it is closer to us than the current airport. And what is the airport not going to be for everyone? for it to be close to Las Lomas we would have to do the airport on Paseo de la Reforma,” he said.

He recalled that airports in large cities such as New York, Washington, London or Madrid are located on the outskirts of those metropolises. However, he announced that for all those people who have great economic resources, they will be able to travel by air taxis.

“(...) There will also be and I take this opportunity to announce, trips for those who have resources, from Polanco to the airport... Air taxis, they are almost going to drop them in their apartments... from their apartment to the airport”, he stressed while clarifying that these are concessions to individuals.

“I don't have all the information yet, but there are those who asked to do this service,” he said.

For his part, the head of the Ministry of National Defense, Luis Crescencio Sandoval, reported that three companies will provide air taxi service and clarified that Felipe Angeles Airport has a terminal for general aviation, allowing helicopters and other private aircraft to land without interrupting airport operations.

“The location of the base is designed so that it does not interfere with the landing and take-off of what is the normal operation of the airport. The helicopters will be able to leave and enter at any time depending on the passenger's requirement,” he said and stressed that there will be land taxi service in the surrounding municipalities.

López Obrador highlighted that due to the saturation of Mexico City International Airport (AICM) and the increase in demand for the service, some companies' flights will gradually be transferred to AIFA, so he highlighted that companies such as Viva Aerobus, Aeromexico and Volaris already have some destinations that will depart from the new airport.

He said that some foreign airlines are already doing their procedures to be able to fly from AIFA. It was then that it revealed that the US airline Delta Airlines is considering having flights at the new airport located in Santa Lucia, State of Mexico.

“And soon foreign companies or foreign airlines that are also already doing their paperwork. Delta... I spoke to the president of Delta International to invite them, he was very kind and they are planning international flights as well, he said. “I met him once when he came to Mexico because they are associated with Aeromexico and now I spoke to him on the phone and it was up to them to review the possibility of them flying from AIFA to the United States,” he said.

When questioned whether he would give a speech at the inauguration of the Airport next Monday, since with the decree approved Thursday by senators to promote the Revocation of Mandate, he can already talk about his government achievements, López Obrador gave a resounding no, so the sole speaker at the event will be the head of the Secretariat General Luis Crescencio Sandoval, who highlighted all the works that were built around the AIFA, which makes it “a very important civil-military complex”.

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