A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE MEXICO CITY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, BENITO JUAREZ
On July 8th 1943, the Official Gazette of the Federation published a decree that acknowledged Mexico City's Central Airport as an International Airport, capable of managing international arrivals and departures of passengers and aircraft.
Construction of Runway 05D-23I started six years later, as well as new facilities such as a platform, a terminal building, a control tower and offices for the authorities. The runway started its operations in 1951 and on November 19th 1952, the Airport opened to the public.
On December 2nd 1963, Walter C. Buchanan, former director of the Transport and Communications Department (SCT), changed the airport's name, "Aeropuerto Central" (Central Airport), to "Aeropuerto Internacional de la Ciudad de México" (International Mexico City Airport). Four decades later, on November 24th 2006, the Official Gazette of the Federation published a decree to rename Mexico City's International Airport "Benito Juarez".
On November 24th 1978, the "Mexico" Control Tower began its operations; it has been in service since then.
The AICM has continually improved its infrastructure. On August 15th 1979, and after about a year of remodeling works, the terminal building reopened to the public; the airport continued its operations during the renovation, which improved passenger transit with better space distribution in walkways and rooms.
Due to constant growth in demand of both passengers and operations, on January 13th 1994, the Official Gazette of the Federation published a presidential agreement that prohibited general aviation operations in the AICM, which were moved to Toluca International Airport in order to clear air traffic in the capital's airport.
Renovations to the AICM continued and on April 11th 1994; a new International Terminal building was ready and operational, it was built by a private constructor according to a co-investment agreement with Airports and Auxiliary Services.
In 2001, and in order to improve service to passengers, the construction works for Module XI started. This Module permitted eight new contact positions in the airport Terminal capable of receiving eight regular airplanes, two wide-body or four narrow-body aircrafts.
To respond to the growing demand and aiming to position the AICM as one of the greatest in terms of quality, services, security and operational functionality, on May 30th 2003, the Federal Government announced an update and extension to this air terminal in order to widen its service capacity from 20 million to 32 million passengers a year. This program was part of the Metropolitan Airport System, promoted by the Federal Administration.
As a result, the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Communications and Transport (SCT), Auxiliary Services and the Mexico City International Airport itself, started 90,000 m² of construction works and remodeling for an extension of Terminal 1. Of this, 48,000 m² were dedicated to new construction and 42,000 m² to remodeling.
On August 2004, the baggage claim area for national flights was extended from 2,760 m² to 3,750 m². Two new baggage belts were installed to service two million passengers more a year, which meant an increase in capacity sufficient to service nine million passengers a year.
Similarly, 1,540 m² were added in a new pre-waiting room area for "Gate Bravo". With it, the total reached 7,590 m², increasing service capacity from 7 to 9 million passengers a year.
Airline counters, escalators, shops, payphones, bathrooms and an elevator for disabled persons were provided in this area, thus allowing better passenger transit for national flights.
The national flights main passenger walkway was remodeled and extended from 3,670 m² to 8,170 m², which constitutes 122% more. All retail shops that serviced in that area were relocated. Now passengers benefit from larger and more modern facilities during their transit through the airport terminal. A mezzanine was built next to the financial area as well as other services.
Furthermore, expansion and improvement of the Terminal 1 transit was made (demolition of the Tower Building was required) and passenger entrances were relocated. Relocation and remodeling of the four access bridges were conducted: 2 access bridges were built to the national flights parking lot, 1 to the pilot parking lot and another to Hotel Camino Real.
The international and national flight parking lots were equipped with a modern automatic prepayment system that facilitates entrance and exit of users. Currently, both parking lots have a capacity of around 3,000 vehicles and provide all services, including ramps and elevators for disabled persons.
A new sewerage system was built to avoid floods during summer and 2 new entrance and exit ramps were constructed in the international flights parking lot, which was renovated and relocated to offer better service to passengers and users.
A new bridge was built to offer vehicle access exclusively to passenger check-in areas F1, F2 and F3, where national and international airlines that offer international flight destinations are located; the new check-in areas for international flights were built in the first level of the terminal, on 5,600 m².
In order to facilitate passenger entrance to the final waiting rooms in Module XI (from 29 to 36), a new security access named Julieta "J" was installed close to the new check-in areas F1, F2 and F3.
A new immigration area was built in the first story of the building (M2). This area holds 24 information counters provided with lit signs to facilitate passenger transit during their permanence in the airport. This area offers ample spaces for the transit of passengers coming from North America, Europe and Asia.
The baggage claim area for international flights was expanded by 100% with 6 new baggage belts that allow passengers to retrieve their luggage in less time, thus avoiding crowding.
The customs area was extended from 3,350 to 6,200 m². The number of tax modules increased from 10 to 18. The new modules are located at the new area for international departures, which is connected directly to the new taxi cab bay.
Among the new works in the international area, a Bus Terminal was built with destinations to Puebla, Cuernavaca, Pachuca, Toluca, Queretaro and Orizaba. It is connected to the fast food court and to the international arrival and departure area; a footbridge connects the terminal to Peñón de los Baños district.
OPERATIONAL AREA The airport's upgrading and modernization demanded a significant transformation of the operational area in order to improve infrastructure and facilitate airport operations, as well as to intensify security in such activities.
With these objectives, several infrastructure works were conducted in taxiways, particularly the extension of Coca 2, the construction of Golfo, as well as Alfa and Bravo taxiway renovations. These allowed an increment in the capacity of the AICM from 54 to 61 airport operations (landing and take off) every hour, speeding up the transit of aircraft from runways to terminal buildings.
Similarly, in order to enhance security levels during aircraft operation, horizontal and vertical runway signaling, as well as signals in taxiways and platforms, were improved, as such are essential for aircraft take off and landing. A stop bar system was installed in all taxiway holding position markings.
The Bravo taxiway, located between the Terminal 1 building and Runway 05 Left 23 Right (05L-23R) was renovated and restored to enhance aircraft transit and operation. This upgraded the quality services that are provided to the airlines.
As part of the safety measures taken in the operations area, a deflector was extended to safeguard the roads that cross near Runway 5D and Runway 5I threshold areas from airstreams produced by aircraft turbines.
Improvement of the AICM operational infrastructure included the construction of a sewerage system built 8 m underground, with a length of 820 m and 1.83 m diameter pipes. It crosses below the platform, taxiways and runways and avoids floods in the operations area during heavy raining conditions.
TERMINAL 2 Development and renewal of the AICM included the construction of a new Terminal that allowed better services to passengers and users in an enhanced space.
Terminal 2 was built on a 242,496 m² terrain and is equipped with the most advanced security systems that comply with international regulations, including a passenger flow split system.
This new facility will allow the AICM to increase its service capacity to 32 million passengers a year. It houses a passenger building with 23 contact positions and 7 remote positions, parking lot for more than 3,000 vehicles, an automated Air Train that connects Terminal 1 with Terminal 2, a hotel, bridges and new entrance and exit roads.
Airport operations in the new facilities started on November 15th, 2007; Aeromar and Delta Airlines were the first to operate there, later Aeroméxico moved all its operations, as well as Copa, Lan and Continental Airlines. Terminal 2 was officially opened on March 26th 2008, by Mexico's President Felipe Calderón Hinojosa.
Terminal 2 connects with Terminal 1 through an inter-terminal train running a 3 km track. Additionally, there are two new distributor road systems: D1 connects T1 and T2 with Río Consulado Avenue and D2 connects T1 and T2 directly with Viaducto Piedad and Río Churubusco freeways.
These public works, which were made without interrupting aircraft landing or take off operations, allow the AICM to offer an improved service that responds to the growing demand of passengers and operations in coming years.  |
