The Mexican Navy will build a parking lot near Terminal 2 of Mexico City International Airport (AICM) so that ride-hailing services like Uber can pick up passengers, as part of an agreement aimed at balancing operations between digital platforms and licensed taxis.
“There’s a property that belonged to the Ministry of National Defense, located outside the federal zone, and that will now be a space where, not exclusively for ride-hailing services, but basically a short-stay parking lot where they can park,” said the admiral.
The measure comes after a series of protests and tensions among transportation providers operating within the airport terminal, which even affected passengers who had to walk to catch their flights.
The airport administration, under the Mexican Navy, opened a dialogue with the disgruntled transportation providers after the protests at the airport entrance.
As part of immediate actions, authorities pledged to reinforce security operations at Mexico City International Airport (AICM), with support from the National Guard, to prevent ride-hailing taxis from picking up passengers directly in restricted areas of the airport.
These measures aim to regulate transportation operations and avoid conflicts with licensed taxis that have official permits to operate within the terminal.
“We have already met with the Association of Licensed Taxi Drivers, who agree that measures should be taken to establish rules for how ride-hailing taxis operate. The ride-hailing taxis also understand that they cannot go to the terminal to pick up passengers, but they will be given some flexibility so that users also have the option to choose. These are agreements we have to reach to reconcile both sets of interests,” stated the head of the Navy.
As part of the conciliation strategy, the federal government will open a short-stay parking area where ride-hailing taxis can pick up passengers.
This space will be located outside the airport’s federal zone, allowing the current regulations that prohibit these platforms from directly entering the terminals to pick up passengers to be maintained.
The property to be used previously belonged to the Ministry of National Defense and is part of the Mexico City International Airport (AICM) modernization project.
According to the Secretary of the Navy, this parking area will not be exclusively for Uber or similar platforms, but rather a general-use space where drivers can wait for passengers requesting their service.
The Navy seeks a balance between ride-hailing platforms and regulated taxis.
During a press conference led by Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum, Admiral Morales Ángeles acknowledged the conflict between traditional airport taxis and digital platforms, but emphasized that both sectors have the right to operate.
“The problem is that licensed taxis have higher operating costs within the airport than app-based taxis; however, app-based taxis also have the right to operate,” the Secretary explained.
In response to this situation, the Navy has held meetings with the Airport Taxi Drivers Association to establish clear operating rules that will reduce tensions and bring order to the transportation service.
This measure is part of a broader process to regulate mobility within Mexico City International Airport, one of the busiest passenger terminals in the country.
Among the authorities’ objectives are:
To guarantee security and order at airport access points
To prevent blockades or protests that affect travelers
To establish clear rules for licensed taxis and digital platforms
To maintain transportation options for users
The federal government is continuing negotiations with the various transportation sectors to reach an agreement that allows both service models to coexist without affecting airport operations or passenger rights.
Source: lasillarota
