The Pacific Airport Group (GAP) faced a significant setback when the government of Claudia Sheinbaum rejected their proposed increase in the TUA fee across all terminals. This decision has put the sector on alert, with growing discussions about an early review of private concessions.
GAP, which operates terminals in 12 cities including Guadalajara and Tijuana, had planned a substantial increase of over 50% in the TUA for 2025. However, the government rejected this proposal before the end of 2024. This unexpected decision surprised the sector, as no similar actions were taken during Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s administration, despite intense debates over the airport fee towards the end of his term.
Sources within the sector indicate that this measure is seen as a warning from the government about an early review of airport concessions by the military. The military’s influence in the sector has grown due to the success of the Tulum airport, managed by Sedena.
In late October, Sheinbaum hinted at this decision during a conference, denying that there would be significant TUA increases at GAP airports and the AICM in 2025. She mentioned that airport concessionaires had paid more and that the government would continue to review these payments.
Although no clear actions have been taken yet, the refusal to allow GAP and AICM to increase the TUA as proposed is viewed as a warning of potential government actions against high fee increases.
GAP had planned to raise TUA fees by 59.33% for domestic flights and 39.74% for international flights starting this year. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) had previously warned about the high costs of TUA in Mexico, demanding transparency from authorities regarding the reasons for these increases. IATA highlighted that such high increases could negatively impact passengers, airlines, and the country’s competitiveness.
Source: La Politica Online
