The Mexican government has approved a capital investment plan by airport operator Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste (ASUR) that includes significant expansions to the Cancun International and Veracruz International airports.
The Mexican peso (Ps) 6.33 billion ($483.5 million) programme includes investments in the nine airports that ASUR operates around Mexico from 2014 to 2018, according to a stock exchange filing today.
The operator will invest Ps4.87 billion in Cancun, which does not include Ps698.1 million already committed to the airport, and Ps394.1 million in Veracruz during the period.
Investments in Cancun airport will include the expansion of terminal 3 by 2015 and a new terminal 4 in 2016, says Adolfo Castro, chief executive of ASUR. The terminal 3 expansion will increase capacity by about four million passengers per year, he adds.
“I believe [terminal 4] should be at least six million,” says Castro on its passenger capacity, adding that the project is still in planning stages.
Cancun is designed to handle about 17 million passengers per year.
The airport handled 14.5 million passengers during first 11 months of 2013, which is an 8.3% increase compared to the same period in 2012. Passenger traffic has grown at an average annual rate of about 11% during the past few years.
ASUR plans to double the size of Veracruz airport by 2018, says Castro. Passenger capacity will increase to about two million per year by 2018 under the plans approved by the Mexican government.
Investment in the Cozumel, Huatulco, Merida, Minatitlan, Oaxaca and Villahermosa airports includes small expansion projects as well as renovations and upgrades to existing facilities.
Source: Cirium Dashboard
