Mexican airports gear up for a flood of World Cup travelers with terminal expansions, extra parking and more

As millions of shot fans program trips to Mexico for adjacent year’s FIFA World Cup, the country’s airports are preparing to marque a bully archetypal impression. Host metropolis airports are investing billions of pesos to modernize and upgrade their facilities, which volition invited up to 5 cardinal World Cup travelers successful 2026, according to FIFA estimates.

In summation to the opening lucifer connected June 11, Mexico volition big 13 matches successful the cities of Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey.

Along with Mexico City, Monterrey and Guadalajara volition besides big World Cup matches and are expecting a large bump successful rider postulation adjacent year. (Shutterstock)

The airports successful these cities are expected to person the largest fig of visitors successful Mexico during the five-week tournament. These airports see Mexico City International Airport (AICM) Guadalajara International Aiport (GDL) successful Jalisco and Monterrey International Airport (MTY) successful Nuevo León.

Here’s what each airdrome has done successful presumption of renovation up of the tournament, and the groups down their management.

Mexico City International Airport

While Mexico City is besides location to the Felipe Angeles International Airport (AIFA) and the adjacent Toluca International Airport (AIT), Diego González, Vice President and Analyst astatine Moody’s Ratings, told quality outlet Aviación 21 that these airports volition not instrumentality distant the AICM’s strategical relation oregon assistance trim its demand.

“This airdrome [AICM] volition proceed to beryllium captious for serving the metropolitan area,” González said.

Since July this year, the AICM has been nether the absorption of the state-owned Grupo Aeroportuario Marina, which manages respective different airports successful Mexico.

The manager of AICM, Admiral Juan José Padilla Olmos, said that to support up with the expected surge successful travelers, the aerial terminal is investing much than 8 cardinal pesos (US $435 million) successful modernization processes, including the enlargement and rehabilitation of terminals, parking tons and aerial postulation regulation.

Guadalajara International Airport

According to Cryshtian Amador Lizardi, the main head of GDL, the airdrome added a Hilton Hotel and a caller runway up of the World Cup (the Hilton, located wrong the airport, opened successful March 2024). It expects the summation successful rider postulation to proceed aft the sporting lawsuit concludes and is preparing to proceed with upgrades, with a planned concern of 22 cardinal pesos (US $1.1 billion) implicit the adjacent 5 years.

Lizardi added that GDL, operated by Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico (GAP), besides plans to physique a caller terminal and acquisition onshore to make a caller runway successful the adjacent future.

Monterrey International Airport

Grupo Aeroportuario Centro Norte (OMA) operates MTY successful the bluish authorities of Nuevo León. Ahead of the World Cup, it has spent connected facilities and infrastructure renovations and improved connectivity.

Forbes reported that during the 2021-2025 period, OMA has invested 15 cardinal pesos (US $815 million) successful operational infrastructure, certifications, information and equipment, runways and platforms, operational and technological standardization, and complementary projects. The works besides included the enlargement and full renovation of Terminal A.

With reports from Aviación 21, Excélsior and Forbes