AIRPORT REPORT : TOLUCA
“ I believe the Toluca vision could be different . At this moment we need to be as aggressive as possible . We need to be more like Gatwick Airport , which continues to compete against Heathrow and positions itself as a reliever gateway for the UK ’ s saturated hub airport .
“ But in the future , I can see Toluca and Mexico City International Airport as LaGuardia is to New York ’ s JFK . We need to have complementary services .”
A second Mexico City airport While Toluca busies itself with plans to become the alternative airport of choice for Mexico City , it seems the government has other plans .
In March , Secretary of the Economy , Ildefonso Guajardo , announced the government was investigating ways to reduce the congestion at MEX . All options were on the table he said , including the option of building a second international airport , a proposal long mooted in the capital .
So if a new airport does go ahead , will this leave Toluca ’ s dreams in tatters ? Not at all says Bejos .
“ This is one of the most important decisions to be made in Mexico ’ s aviation market for the last 20 years and I strongly believe the new government needs to solve this issue . Of course , we need a new airport , but this will not change Toluca ’ s plans – we aim to work together as complementary airports .
“ Geographically speaking we are a very easy airport for business travellers . You also have to remember that the new Mexico City airport will not ready for many years ,” explains Bejos .
“ Until then , we can attend the market and then we will be part of a big system for the whole of Mexico State .”
Route development While it remains to be seen whether Toluca can attract and retain carriers for the long-term , recent airline arrivals look encouraging .
Interjet is once again cranking up its services ; Aeroméxico returned earlier this year , and VivaAerobus operates to Tampico and Villahermosa . But , perhaps the most significant thing , is that Toluca ’ s resurgent traffic is
now international as well as domestic , and that ’ s a trend Bejos expects will continue as US carriers seek more market share of Mexico ’ s capital .
“ The market is changing a lot and many LCCs are no longer as low-cost as they once were . These include Allegiant , JetBlue and WestJet , which are growing aggressively south from Canada and the US and want to go to central Mexico . Ideally , they want to serve Mexico City , but if they cannot due to the lack of available slots , they will fly to Toluca if they want to serve this market .
“ Because of profitability requirements and [ their status as ] new players in the Mexico market , bringing in those airlines is a challenge .
“ Today , we are aggressively growing our domestic market . In April this year four of the five carriers in Mexico will fly from Toluca ; Aeroméxico is starting a sky bridge between Monterrey and Guadalajara ; Interjet is encouraging routes from Toluca to leisure destinations , and VivaAerobus are doing a tremendous job connecting small towns and cities in regional Mexico .
“ What we foresee in the short run is that our network in the domestic market will expand with greater frequencies , and now the priority is to attract those international airlines ,” predicts Bejos .
Other advantages he outlines include : no bilateral restrictions on US carriers wishing to open up new routes ; a seven minute aircraft turnaround guarantee ; and last but not least , an incentive scheme that effectively slashes airport fees for new routes and offers landing fees that are lower than Mexico City ’ s Benito Juárez International Airport .
While the debate over the need for a second international airport for Mexico City looks set to rumble on , Toluca ’ s management clearly feel confident that their facility can thrive on its own merits .
Not only is it likely to be many years before a new airport is built , but Toluca is positioning itself to be a viable alternative to MEX based on ease of use , modern uncongested facilities , transport links , and a strong belief in accommodating the needs of both passengers and airlines . “ Perhaps we will never be a complicated hub with fancy big terminals to connect people with trains , but we will have an easy to use airport ,” concludes Bejos .
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AIRPORT WORLD / APRIL-MAY 2013