Mexican President inaugurates T4 at Cancún International Airport

Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto (second from left) has officially opened the new Terminal 4 (T4) facility at Cancún International Airport in Mexico, which has increased the airport’s capacity by nine million passengers annually.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, the President said, “The investments in this terminal and Terminal 3 (T3) total nearly MXN$5bn (US$260m). When there is a greater demand for airports, when airlines have more passengers, when tourist destinations have a greater influx of domestic and foreign tourists, it means that the country is moving forward, that the economy is growing, and that there is greater economic dynamism in our country, and that is exactly what is happening.

“Cancun has been consolidated as the second most important international tourist destination in the country, after Mexico City. The tourism received by Quintana Roo is much higher that of many other countries in the Latin American region, such as Brazil, Colombia and Argentina,” said Peña Nieto.

Gerardo Ruiz Esparza, secretary of communications and transport, said, “Thanks to the determined momentum of the current administration, the aeronautical sector is now doing well. It has gone from experiencing the closure of 10 airlines six years ago and having its FAA certification canceled, which prevented new flights between Mexico and the USA, and between the USA and Mexico, to reporting record growth today."

Between 2012 and 2017, the volume of passengers flying to and from the country increased by 60%, while the commercial air fleet grew by 40%. In addition, 849 new national and international air routes have been created with average ticket prices remaining stable.

Fernando Chico Pardo, chairman of the board of directors, Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste (ASUR), the airport operator, added, “We have increased our total capacity by 43%, meaning that as of today we have an annual capacity of 31 million passengers. An expansion is planned for the near future to increase capacity by a further nine million passengers that will take our annual capacity to nearly 40 million passengers.

“As of tomorrow, 14 more airlines will operate at Cancun Airport with 100% common-use facilities, including both domestic and international operations.

“We are confident that tourism is synonymous with well-being. That’s why we continue to increase our infrastructure with safe facilities and adequate mobility, which reflect the modern Mexico we wish to project to the world.

“The total investment for T4 has been MXN$3.4bn (US$178m), which, combined with the investment in the expansion of T3, gives us a total of MXN$4.7bn (US$246m) invested in the past 22 months alone.”