The countdown is on: there are just 108 days to go until the freighter ban at MEX comes into full effect on 05JUL23. A whim by a government ostensibly looking to reduce congestion at Mexico City’s Benito Juárez International Airport (MEX), and one that is creating major headaches particularly for airlines operating freighters and passenger aircraft.
From 05JUL23, all freighters serving Mexico City will have to land elsewhere. The closest alternative to MEX is the city’s newest commercial airport: Felipe Angeles International Airport, (AIFA/NLU – the previous Santa Lucia Air Force Base), which was inaugurated on 21MAR22. Originally, when the Presidential Decree banning freighters from MEX was communicated in JAN23, the timeframe given to find an alternative point of operations, was 90 working days. IATA’s Regional Vice President for the Americas, Peter Cerdá, together with CANAERO (National Chamber of Air Transport), at the time issued a statement urging the Mexican Government to develop a joint transition plan to facilitate moving dedicated cargo operations from MEX to other airports in the country, and pointing out that “The biggest share of cargo operations in the Mexican market is currently handled at MEX. Neither airlines nor the associated cargo supply chain can just pack up and move to an alternative airport. The relocation process poses a significant challenge and needs to be well planned to avoid any operational disruption. For this we need all stakeholders, including the government to work in a collaborative manner, thus ensuring the safe and secure flow of cargo in and out of the country.” In FEB23, the deadline was extended, allowing 4 months of preparations. Still not enough, according to CANAERO, which said a full year was more realistic.
Worth it?
In fact, only 3% of all flights into MEX are freighter flights – and these mostly operate during night hours, so the alleviation to congestion is negligible. However, according to the Mexican
government, NLU is the more appropriate airport for cargo since it “has a correct and efficient infrastructure for cargo operations. Its design previewed an expansion capacity of up to three
million tons per year when it reaches its maximum potential.” Compared to the over half-a-million tons handled in MEX last year, NLU totaled around 878 tons in 2022. Is it ready to handle
the 62% of cargo currently flying into MEX on board of freighters? And will this initially negatively affect Mexico’s current Number 1 status in LATAM with 28% share of international cargo? The
onforwarding network in NLU is currently far from ideal and not a patch on MEX.
Major headache
“Expeditors MEX is prepared to maintain operational continuity for our customers when airlines begin flying to NLU. However, we understand many airlines and customs brokers are facing
different challenges and are still in the process of setting up their operations in the new airport. Our local teams are monitoring the situation and working closely with airlines and customs
brokers,” reads a statement on Expeditor’s website in response to the MEX cargo ban.
The challenges are many. While full cargo airlines such as DHL, which was the first to transfer to NLU last month, face a more straightforward decision, they nevertheless need to be able to rely
on available warehousing and comprehensive infrastructures. DHL had already set up a USD 55 million facility at the airport and so was already prepared. That said, unlike MEX, which is just 8 km
away from the city, NLU is 45 km outside the city, and therefore adds time to deliveries, not to mention possible road congestion due to inadequate ground transportation possibilities.
Most airlines are facing the reality that facilities at the new AIFA airport are not yet completely operational or fully staffed. Other problem areas include missing third-party certifications
required by terminal operators to transport cargo to e.g. Europe, adequately equipped cargo warehouses, operational customs system, registered cargo agents, sufficient customs agents to clear
imported cargo, etc.
Double trouble
The biggest problems are the ones facing airlines such as Lufthansa Cargo, Qatar Airways, or Turkish Airlines, that operate both passenger and freighter aircraft. Cargo coming in on passenger
bellies is not affected by the freighter ban, nevertheless, this means paying for double cargo handling facilities, or embargoing cargo on passenger flights, or setting up complex transfer
processes (leading to added security issues), or completely shifting both passenger and cargo operations to NLU instead of MEX. Not to mention various regulatory difficulties, as well as
complications when handling special cargo such as pharmaceuticals, valuable cargo, and other commodities that are reliant on fast and secure international connections. One thing is certain: when
the majority of cargo moves away from MEX, MEX’s own revenues and jobs generated thus far through cargo operations, will suffer.
Awesome Cargo
Possibly the only airline finding the decree awesome (or not being bothered in the least by it), is Awesome Cargo – the operational name of the GSA turned Mexican airline TM Aerolíneas, S. A. de
C. V. - a carrier so fresh that it still has Lorem Ipsum text on parts of its website. The cargo airline, which received the first of its initial fleet of two A330-200 preighters (out of a
long-term plan of 10) in FEB23, was also the first cargo company to receive a national air cargo transportation concession from the Federal Civil Aviation Agency (AFAC) to establish operations at
Felipe Angeles International Airport (AIFA). Official operations are due to start in MAY23, however, it has already helped with aid deliveries to Turkey, on behalf of the Mexican government,
following the recent earthquakes.
Brigitte Gledhill
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