The International Airport of Mexico City, Terminals 1 and 2, the AICM

The beautiful capital of the Mexican Republic is full of architectural gems ranging from archaeological ruins to important examples of the local interpetation of the 'churrigueresco' style and art deco. Even the new asthetic lines which seem to hang from the clouds are present and increasing in numbers.

GENERAL INFORMATION ON THE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT OF MEXICO CITY

The International Airport of Mexico City (AICM) is the largest metropolitan airport throughout the whole of Latin America with regard to passenger flow; in 2005, the 'Lic. Benito Juárez' airport registered a total of 24,115,552 passengers, placing it as the world's 45th most transitted airport; during 2006, passengers numbered 24,727,296 and last year, the AICM registered a passenger flow of 25,881,622.

This year, with the new Terminal 2, airport passenger capacity increases to 32 million, and can now welcome the Airbus 380 its first Latin American destination, due to the new facilities offered to the airlines by Terminal 2.

the Aerotrén of the International Airport of Mexico City

The quickest way of getting from one terminal to the other is by the Aerotrén which operates from 6 in the morning to 10 at night, with departures every 15 minutes.

To use this transport, passengers who have to travel between the two terminals to catch a connecting flight are given exclusivity, but must show their ticket (electronic or normal) or their boarding pass to be able to take the Aerotrén.

For further information on the location of the Aerotren in the insatallations please see Aerotrén T-1 or T-2.

For people who wish to travel from one terminal to the other but have no connecting flight there is a bus service between the terminals, the price per passenger is 10 Mexican pesos.

An óptimum System of Interconnection, the Aerotrén

To operate two terminals at the same time, one opposite the other, at a distance of around 3 kms., was an important challenge. Both terminals attend national and international flights, and thus, there was a need to establish some kind of transportation between them for passengers.

After due consideration, the choice was made to install an driverless, automised train system; electricity was the form of power chosen and the for propulsion: the use of a 6-km.-cable system. Carraiges are transported along a tubular steel base.

Principal characteristics of the Aerotrén

The train has the capacity to transport 6,800 passengers on a daily basis, the trip taking just under 7 minutes for the 3 km. journey at a maximum speed of 45 kph.

The functional characteristics of the Aerotrén are similar to that of a cable car, but the train has some competitive advantages over the former: lower cost, higher capacity and greater flexibility, especially regarding the trajectory of the trip.

So as not to interfere with the everday running of the ongoing airport operations between the two terminals, two elevated stations were constructed for the reception and delivery of the passengers.

The train initiates its trip from an elevation of 10 metres opposite Terminal 1 (T-1). During the trip, passengers are transported around the perimiter of the airport, around the national car parking facilities until reaching an elevation of 13 metres.

Once arriving to the Boulevard Puerto Aéreo, the elevation is reduced so as to permit the activity of airline landings and take offs; once past this zone, the train again rises to an elevation of 10 metres, and finally drops off passengers directly to the check-in area of Terminal 2 (T-2), at a height of 6.5 metres,

Each of the train's four carraiges has a capacity of 25 passengers per trip and the system is supported by concrete columns tha rise from a depth of 26 metres.

the Customs Office of the International Airport of Mexico City

Public service is provided from 08:00 to 18:00 hrs.

Customs Website Information
for Passengers Arriving by Plane

click on the 'arriving by airplane' link for English

Av. 602, No. 161
Col. San Juan de Aragón,
Deleg. Venustiano Carranza,
C.P. 15620,
México, D.F.

Airport Customs Agents Association

information in Spanish only

the Lost & Found Office of the International Airport of Mexico City

There are two lost luggage departments, both in Termnal 1.

For passengers of international flights, the office is on the first floor: Terminal 1. From the ground floor, take the elevators to the first floor and turn right, continue along through the fast food area and the office is facing you just by the turning for the 'Terminal Terrestre,' the doors are glass with engraving.

For passengers of national flights, the office is on the ground floor: Terminal 1. Entering the airport at 'Entrance 1,' the office is in the right hand corner of the airport, by the passenger exit.

To make a claim for lost luggage, you'll need the following documents: an official ID with photo and a copy of your boarding pass. You'll also have to tell them where you beleive your luggage was lost and give them a description of the contents of the said luggage.

The lost luggage office number is 102 and the telephone number is 5571-3600 ext. 2289. The office is open between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m.

The time limit for claiming lost luggage is 3 months.

the Parking Facilities at Terminal 1 of the International Airport of Mexico City

There are 2 parking facilities for Terminal 1; the 'national' parking facility is on the left just after turning into the airport access road: Boulevard Puerto Áereo, and offers spaces for almost 2,000 cars.

Communication between the national car park and the airport is via a pedestrian bridge from inside the airport, up the stairs between entrance gates 1 and 2.

The international parking facility is attatched to the northern end of the 'Terminal Terrestre' - coach terminal, along the airport access road: Boulevard Puerto Áereo, on the right after passing entrance gate 10.

Basically, you have to do a 'U-turn' to your left to access the car park; before the gas station.

Communication between the international parking lot and the airport is via the 'Terminal terrestre.'

Nowadays you need to pay the cost of your stay in the parking lot prior to leaving, an Automatic Parking Cashier (machine) is by Gate 9, by the entrance to the national parking facility; in the case of the international facilities, machines are placed by the pedestrian bridge entrance into the facility itself, the bridge is up the stairs between Gates 1 and 3.

the General Statisics of the International Airport of Lic. Benito Juarez

DATOS GENERALES

	LOCATION	Long.: 99° 04' W // Lat.: 19° 25' N
	DISTANCE FROM THE CITY	5 kilometres
	CATEGORY	Sixth
	CLASSIFICATION	International
	TYPE	Metropolitan
	TOTAL SURFACE	hectares
	ELEVATION ABOVE SEA LEVEL	2,237.5 metres

ZONA AERONAUTICA COMERCIAL

	NUMBER OF RUNWAYS	2
	PRINCIPAL RUNWAY	metres
	SECONDARY RUNWAY	metres
	TYPE OF COVERING

ZONA TERMINAL

	CAPACITY (Pass. x Hour)
	TOTAL SURFACE	m2

the Facilities for the Disabled in Terminal 1

Elevators for the disabled are placed throughout Terminal 1's national area of the ground floor in SALAS 'A,' 'B,' 'C' and 'D,' along the exterior wall of the instalations.

On the first-floor these elevators are found in the fast-food area opposite Gate 10, Gates 12 and 13, and by and the VIP lounge at Gate 17; for those planning to visit this lounge the best ground-floor option is by Gate 6.

In general, if visiting the first floor, I'd say the best option for special-abiltiy visitors is to take the elevator option closest to your first-floor destination as transit is usually easier on the ground floor.

That said, the upper floor is also well organised but tends to get a little more crowded than the ground floor, packs of hungry transients fill the passages on their way to relish their final pre-flight opportunity for fast-food alternatives, or, of course those just killing time whilst awaiting visitors.

A further VIP lounge is by Gate 21, again there is an elevator close at hand. Located by the waiting-rooms area for Gates 25, 26, 27 is another option and, last but not least, the exterior wall opposite Gate 23 is home to another of these elevators for the installations' special-ability visitors.

Regarding the 'Terminal Terrestre,' the elevator at the entrance/exit passage communicating the fast-food area with the ticket counters for the direct-service coach options is the best-placed option for visitors to this area of the terminal.

The vast majority of the public conveniences are equipped with special-ability options for disabled visitors and are found almost everywhere; finally, for ease-of-access, ramps have been incorporated throughout the whole of the terminal, so if you happen to be a member of this group of the species, you should have no complaints with these installations.

the Left Luggage // Locker Facilities at the International Airport of Mexico City

There are two left luggage offices in Terminal 1 of the airport:

National area: SALA A - T. 5786-9048
International area: SALA E3 - T. 5726-0467

Both on the ground floor and offer lockers on a 24-hour basis.

the Airport-Information Booths in Terminal 1 of the International Airport of Mexico City

There are information booths throughout Terminal 1 of the airport; in the ground floor national area - Sala 'A' - between entrance gates 2 and 3 - and in the ground floor international area - Sala 'E1,' between gates 7 and 8.

On the first floor there are booths by the last-minute waiting rooms 19, 25 and 36.

During heavy passenger-traffic periods, there is also a team of transient staff who usually identify the lost souls among the crowds and lend a helping hand. Watch out for the orange uniforms if you feel the need for HELP!

the Medical Services at the AICM

The airport offers emergency medical services to the general public in
Terminal 1

National area: SALA B, ground floor - between entrance Gates 3 and 4;
International area: first floor - by waiting room 28.

T.: 5571-3084 - ext. 2243

the Telephone Numbers for the AICM



Airport Info
	T1	52-(01)-(55)-2482-2424
	T1	52-(01)-(55)-2482-2400
	T2	52-(01)-(55)-2598-7000
	T2	52-(01)-(55)-2598-3000

Tourist Info
Int. Area:	T1	52-(01)-(55)-5762-9309
Nat. Area:	T1	52-(01)-(55)-2599-0330

Security
Tourist Police:	T1	52-(01)-(55)-5250-5100
Medical Services:	T1	52-(01)-(55)-5571-3084 Ext.: 2243
Airport Security:	T1	52-(55)-5571-0497

Terminal 1 - INT. AIRPORT OF MEXICO CITY - MEX - 'Lic. Benito Juárez'

After 24 months of work, the remodelling of Mexico City International Airport's Terminal 1 (T-1) culminated its course and on the 30th of August, 2006., the T-1 was officially inaugurated.

The remodelling work was carried out alongside the construction of 90,000 square metres of passenger facility areas, nowadays dedicated to the service of passengers in transit; the whole project having a price tag of US1.4 mn.

Nowadays, the T-1 offers a whole host of services to its visitors including banks, restaurants and bars, among many others.

the Aerotrén: T-1 of the AICM

TIMETABLE

06:00 - 22:00

FREQUENCY

cada 15 minutos

DURATION

7 minutos

The Aerotrén, the quickest form of communication between the two terminals, runs from 6:00 to 22:00 hours; departures are every fifteen minutes.

To use the train, exclusively, passengers who have to travel between the two terminals for connections must show their ticket (electronic or normal) or a boarding pass.

To take the Aerotrén from T-1: take the moving staircase by Sala D (1st floor), turn left and walk to the middle of the bridge, from there you can take the trip to T-2.

the Airport-information booths in Terminal 1

There are several Airport-Information booths in Terminal 1:

Ground floor:

National area - Sala A (between entrance gates 2 & 3)
International area - Sala E (between entrance gates 7 & 8)

First floor:

by the last-minute waiting rooms: 19, 25 & 36.

During peak passenger-flow periods, a team of aiport personell mix with the crowds offering information. Look out for the orange uniforms if you feel the need for HELP!

Terminal 2 - INT. AIRPORT OF MEXICO CITY - MEX - 'Lic. Benito Juárez'

With the inauguration of the new installations, the International Airport of Mexico City (AICM) is the first Latin-American terminal with the necessary infra-structure to attend the world's largest commercial aircraft.

Equipped with 2 retractable passage ways capable of working simultaneously for the ascent and descent of passengers, more than 500 of them, Terminal 2 (T-2) offers the Airbus 380 its first gateway into Latin America.

With its 2 floors, Terminal 2 offers passengers departure services on the first floor, whilst arriving passengers are welcomed to the city through the ground floor, thus improving passenger flow whilst complying with the latest international standards of security.

On arrival at Mexico City airport (AICM), since the new T-2 recieved its airlines recently, passengers have double the room per person (18sq. mts.) than when only Terminal 1 was in operation; furthermore, they have services such as voicemail, data & video.

In 2005, the AICM handled 24,115,552 passengers; in 2006: 24,727,296 and last year, the airport provided services for 25,881,622 passengers; with Terminal 2 (T-2) in operation, the airport has the capacity to handle up to 32 million passengers.

The T-2 Inauguration

The new T-2 began operations on November 16th, 2007, with flights by Aeromar & Delta Air Lines to Colima, Mexico., and to Atlanta in the US, respectively.

As of January 15th, 2008., the following airlines transferred their Mexico City services to the T-2: Aeromexico, its affiliate, Aeromexico Connect, Lan Chile & Copa Airlines.

With the initiations of all the aforementioned airlines in the new T-2 installations, the plan is to divide the airport's workload between the two terminals; the T-2 will operate 43.2% of the operations and the T-1 is to handle the remaining 56.8%.

As a result of the two terminals now operating simultaneously, the International Airport of Mexico City has increased its passenger capacity from 22 to 32 million, with an estimated 320,000 operations.

the Aerotrén: T-2 of the AICM

TIMETABLE

06:00 - 22:00

FREQUENCY

cada 15 minutos

DURATION

7 minutos

The Aerotrén, the quickest form of communication between the two terminals, runs from 6:00 to 22:00 hours; departures are every fifteen minutes.

To use the train, exclusively, passengers who have to travel between the two terminals for connections must show their ticket (electronic or normal) or a boarding pass.

The Aerotrén leaves from T-2 on the first floor: access is to the left of the check-in desks, at the entrance to the 'dedo sur' - southern finger - of the T-2.

the Airlines serving Terminal 2

The check-in desks of the airlines serving T-2


FIRST FLOOR


	BAY (BAHÍA) L3	BAY (BAHÍA) L2	BAY (BAHÍA) L1

	AEROMAR		AEROMEXICO PREMIER

	AEROMEXICO	AEROMEXICO (INT.)	CONTINENTAL AIRLINES

	AEROMEXICO CONNECT		DELTA AIR LINES

	COPA AIRLINES		LAN (Chile)

the Airport-information booths in Terminal 2

There are several Airport-Information booths in Terminal 2:

Ground floor - Arrivals:

3 booths: one opposite the 'arrivals' gates
and one to each side

First floor - Departures:

3 booths: one opposite Bay A2, the others
at the entrances to the two 'dedos' - fingers - of the installations

For further information call:

T-2: 2598-7000 // 2598-3000

the Benefits of the New Terminal 2: Present and Future

Over the next 20 years, the high-tech equipment now installed in the Terminal 2 of Mexico City International Aiport, in spite of the increased passenger numbers, will provide visitors with a quicker documentation process, along with improved immigration control.

Time Savings for Airlines

Meanwhile, for the airlines, improved services will be offered regarding the loading of fuel and other airport operations.

The time necessary for airplanes to transfer from the landing to the Terminal 1 position is 9 minutes and, on average, 15 minutes from seperating from its position to take off.

With the new Terminal 2, the average times are reduced to 8 minutes for the landing phase and 5 minutes for the take-off phase, thus saving 1 minute and 10 minutes respectively.

The T-2 has a constructed area of 242,496 sq. mts. and 23 contact positions, a further 7 (remote) positions are also available, thus brining the total available positions at the International Airport of Mexico City to 97 positions, of which 56 are contact positions.

The boggies

For perfect coupling with the airplanes visiting the airport's T-2, no matter the size, shape, or capacity of the planes, the system offered for the offloading and onloading of passengers is by boggie, permitting the use of 2 or 3 retractable passage ways simultaneously from a distance of up to 30 metres; furthermore, the height can be adjusted to coincide with any type of aircraft. The perfect solution for the Airbus 380, its only available option for the whole of Latin America.

An important factor taken into consideration during the design and construction of these facilities was the diverse range of aircraft heights, thus their use is optimum for whatever type of aircraft arrives to the airport.

For example, some aircraft have their doors at a height of 1.2 metres that can be attended through the use of stairways, but others, such as the Airbus 320 or the Boeing 737, whose doors are at a height of 2.5 metres— planes utilized by the principal airlines of Mexico—, other aircraft have their doors at a height of 5.1m and 8 metres - namely the Boeing 747 and the Airbus 380, respectively.

These improvements will generate savings in the region of 5.252 million Mexican pesos.

The New Vehicular Distribution System

The new options for traffick access to the the T-2 will improve the circulation of the traffick at seven important intersections and, as of the first year, will generate savings of transport time due to the reduction of traffick congestion on the siad primary highways.

Another important point with regard to these new facilities is the financial savings provided as a result of the improved traffick flow within the area; these savings are estimated to be in the region of 480 million Mexican pesos in the first year, benifitting around 41,000 vehicles. Over the next eight years, this figure represents saving of up to 2.44 billion Mexican pesos.

Of course, the people living in the airport vicinity and people travelling to work at the airport (80,000) will have a better quality of life as a result of this new infrastructure.

New Distributor Roads

The construction project for the new facilities of the airport contemplates the operation of 2 traffick distribution systems to facilitate access to the airport's new terminal by rerouting traffick coming from the primary roads such as the Circuito Interior, Eje 1 Norte, Economía, Viaducto and the Calzada Ignacio Zaragoza.

These new options will benefit not only the visitors to the airport, but also, the residents of the area and people transitting the zone for other purposes, providing quicker transit times to all and less road chaos in the area.

Distributor Road #1

This Distributor road is made up of two bridges and an elevated stretch of road. The two bridges facilitate road access to the T-2: the first, for traffick coming from the Circuito Interior Norte (suspension bridge); and, the second, for those who wish to access the T-2 facilities coming from Terminal 1.

The elevated road facilitates access to the T-1 for those who are arriving from the south of the city along Boulevard Puerto Aéreo.

To guarantee the safety of the suspension bridges, the bridges are suspended from a height of 42 mts. and the supporting columns rise from a depth of 30 metres. This distribution road has a length of 1.5 kms.

Distributor Road #2:

The second distributor road will have an extention of 3.7 kms., and will unite the Viaducto Miguel Alemán with the new facilities of the airport's Terminal 2, by way of an elevated stretch of road above the Avenida Economía. Coming the other way along the road, the crossing with Avenida Ignacio Zaragoza will have an elevated option to access the Terminal 2.

For the moment though, the work on this option is still underway. Work is being carried out on the avenue that provides access to the airport from the Viaducto; the project is forecast to be ready for sometime in February.

Vehicular Flow in the Surrounding Area of the Airport

Currently, the International Airport of Mexico City (AICM) contributes 3% of the vehicular influx to the eastern zone the the Valley of Mexico.

Over 3,000 vehicles entering the installations on a daily basis during peak times to drop off or pick up passengers; it is estimated that with the beginning of operations in the new T-2, the number of vehicles transitting the area could double over the next 10 years.

Environmental, security and laboral hygiene matters

As an integral part of the construction project for the new T-2, a program was created to supervise the works with regard to the environmental effects, security and laboral hygiene for the more than 8,000 workers who participated in the construction project.

An agreement with the local government assured the correct disposal of all the waste materials created in an environmentally friendly way.

The program also included thwe installation of streetlighting facilities, the improvement of existing roads, the provision of pedestrian bridges and a reforestation program, over 4,000 trees being planted in the vicinity of the airport.

These new installations will generate a total of 435,000 jobs over the forthcoming 10 years.

the Cost of the New Installations of the Terminal 2

The investment made for the Terinal 2 construction project amounted to US600 mn; US200 mn was provided by the Federal Government and the remaining US400 mn were obtained through the Nacional Financiera Bank, by way of a sindicated credit from the following banking institutions: Citigroup-Banamex, BBVA-Bancomer, Inbursa & HSBC.

The End of the Metropolitan Airport System Project

With the inauguration of the operations in the new Terminal 2 of the airport, located opposite the existing Terminal 1, the end of the Metropolitan Airports System Project has come about —this project included work on the airport facilities at Toluca, Puebla, Cuernavaca and Querétaro— which, together, can now offer services to 60 million passengers per year and carry out an estimated 700,000 operations annually.

the how to of Getting to the New Terminal 2 Facilities

To access the T-2 you should take the alternate route for the T-1
of the airport or the Eje 1 Norte.

Coming from the Circuito Interior Sur (from the T-1):

Pass in front of the T-1 and, at the first return road, do a 'U' turn to take the bridge, then take the turning to the left and continue along Distributor 1; this takes you directly to the new T-2 installations.

Coming from Viaducto Alemán or Avenida Hangares
(heading east):

Directly outside the Terminal 2 installations there is a set of traffick lights, take the left turning here. This avenue can also be accessed from the Circuito Interior heading north.

Coming along Avenida Hangares
(heading west):

Take the right turning just in front of the principal access road to the T-2. From there follow the road signs to the national or international areas of the terminal.

the Parking Facilities at Terminal 2

The new (sheltered) parking facilities of the T-2 provide space for up to 2,437 vehicles and the good news for passengers is that the distances and the time required to walk between the parking and the waiting-room facilities is much less, 30% less.