Toluca International Airport


Aeropuerto Internacional de Toluca
Summary
Airport typePublic
OperatorAdministradora Mexiquense del Aeropuerto Internacional de Toluca (AMAIT)
ServesToluca, Greater Mexico City
LocationToluca, State of Mexico, Mexico
Opened1984
Hub forTUM AeroCarga
Time zoneCST (UTC-06:00)
Elevation AMSL2,580 m / 8,465 ft
Coordinates19°20′13″N 99°33′57″W / 19.33694°N 99.56583°W / 19.33694; -99.56583
Websitewww.aeropuertodetoluca.com.mx
Map
TLC is located in State of Mexico
TLC
TLC
Location of airport in the State of Mexico
TLC is located in Mexico
TLC
TLC
TLC (Mexico)
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
15/33 4,310 14,140 Asphalt
Statistics (2022)
Total passengers585,036
Ranking in Mexico33rd Increase 11
Source: Administradora Mexiquense del Aeropuerto Internacional de Toluca

Toluca International Airport (Spanish: Aeropuerto Internacional de Toluca); officially Aeropuerto Internacional Licenciado Adolfo López Mateos (Licenciado Adolfo López Mateos International Airport) (IATA: TLC, ICAO: MMTO) is an international airport in Toluca, State of Mexico, Mexico. It handles both national and international air traffic for the Metropolitan area of Toluca and serves as a secondary airport for Greater Mexico City, alongside Felipe Angeles Airport. Historically serving as a hub for Volaris, Interjet, and Republicair, the airport is operated by Administradora Mexiquense del Aeropuerto Internacional de Toluca and is named after President Adolfo López Mateos.

Toluca Airport serves as the primary airport for operating executive and general aviation traffic in the Greater Mexico City airspace, ranking fifth busiest in Mexico for both aircraft movements and cargo operations. It serves as a primary base for charter airlines such as Aerolíneas Ejecutivas, Aeromaan, Aviesa, Flymex, and a hub for the cargo airline TUM AeroCarga. The airport also accommodates cargo and aircraft maintenance facilities, and services for air taxis, air ambulances, and aviation schools. It served 585,036 passengers in 2022.

History

The development of Toluca Airport has been significantly shaped by efforts to address congestion challenges at Mexico City International Airport, stemming from urban constraints since the 1980s. Construction of Toluca Airport commenced in 1970, with its inauguration taking place in 1984.

In 1994, the federal government implemented legislation to mitigate congestion at Mexico City International Airport by prohibiting general aviation operations and redirecting them to secondary airports like Toluca. Consequently, Toluca Airport's importance increased, managing the majority of general aviation traffic in the Mexico City airspace.

Political initiatives have also been introduced to establish nearby airports, including Toluca, along with Puebla, Cuernavaca, and Querétaro, as supplementary options for serving the Mexico City Area. This initiative, known as the Metropolitan Airport System, was promoted by the Federal Administration.

Volaris Airbus A319 at TLC

During the 2000s, Toluca Airport played a pivotal role in the initial growth of low-cost carriers in Mexico. Volaris and Interjet, key players in this sector, established Toluca as their primary hub, each operating from independent terminals until 2007. The airport experienced a substantial increase in passenger traffic from 145,000 in 2002 to 4,300,000 in 2008, leading to renovations and expansions. During this period, other airlines, including Aeromexico Connect, Click Mexicana, Republicair, and TAESA Airlines, served Toluca. The airport provided international service to the United States through Continental Express and Spirit Airlines, as well as to Spain through Air Madrid.[1]

However, following Mexicana's bankruptcy in 2011, Volaris relocated its hub to Guadalajara, and Interjet shifted operations to Mexico City, resulting in a consistent decline in passenger traffic from 1,161,064 in 2013 to 134,305 by 2021. Consequently, Toluca Airport consolidated its operations, reducing from four terminals to two, with all activities now centralized at the Domestic Terminal. Toluca currently stands as the largest metropolitan area in Mexico without any international flight services.[2]

FedEx McDonnell Douglas MD-10-30(F) arriving at TLC

Most travellers to Toluca opt for Mexico City International Airport, located less than 50 kilometres (31 mi) to the east, offering extensive connectivity through highways and bus services. The recent inauguration of Mexico City-Felipe Angeles Airport has introduced additional challenges in attracting commercial flights. Flight figures have fluctuated, with a significant rebound in 2022 when Volaris, Viva Aerobus, and TAR resumed commercial services, resulting in a traffic volume of 585,036.[3]

Facilities

Departures concourse
Check-in counters

The airport is situated 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) northeast of Toluca city center and 30 kilometres (19 mi) west of affluent neighborhoods like Santa Fe in Mexico City. Its elevated location at 2,660 metres (8,730 ft) imposes payload restrictions on aircraft. Consequently, the airport boasts a 4,310 metres (14,140 ft) runway, the second longest in Mexico after Felipe Ángeles International Airport, and is the first in Mexico equipped with ILS CAT II/IIIA approaches.[4]

The passenger terminal, a single-story structure, includes arrival and departure facilities with standard services. These encompass parking, check-in, security, a VIP lounge, snack bars, shops, immigration and customs facilities, baggage-claim areas, car rental services, taxi stands, and a departure concourse with 15 gates providing direct apron access for passengers to board by walking to their aircraft.

The airport also features multiple aprons and facilities for general and executive aviation, hosting logistics and courier companies. Administrative facilities and multiple hangars cater to air taxi, VIP charters, aircraft management, air ambulance, cargo, and aircraft repair operations.

Airlines and destinations

Volaris Airbus A320-132 at TLC
Interjet Airbus A320 at TLC

Passenger

AirlinesDestinations
Viva Aerobus Cancún, Mérida, Monterrey, Puerto Vallarta, San José del Cabo
Volaris Cancún, Guadalajara, Puerto Vallarta, San José del Cabo, Tijuana

Cargo

AirlinesDestinations
FedEx Express Memphis
TUM AeroCarga Cancún, Ciudad Juárez, Guadalajara, Hermosillo, Mazatlán, Mérida, Monterrey, Nuevo Laredo, Oaxaca, Querétaro, Reynosa, Tijuana, Veracruz, Villahermosa
Cargolux Boeing 747-8R7F at TLC
Sukhoi Superjet 100 at TLC

Destinations map

Domestic destinations from Toluca International Airport
Red = Year-round destination
Blue = Future destination
Green = Seasonal destination

Statistics

Aeromexico Connect Embraer 190-100LR at TLC
Spirit Airlines Airbus A319-132 at TLC
Interjet Airbus A320 at Interjet´s maintenance hangar in TLC

Passengers

Toluca Airport Passengers. See Wikidata query.

Top destinations

Busiest domestic routes at Toluca International Airport (2022)[5]
Rank City Passengers Ranking Airline
1  Quintana Roo, Cancún 81,276 Increase 1 VivaAerobús, Volaris
2  Baja California, Tijuana 30,061 New entry Volaris
3  Nuevo León, Monterrey 28,097 Decrease 2 VivaAerobús
4  Baja California Sur, San José del Cabo 27,780 New entry Volaris
5  Jalisco, Puerto Vallarta 25,955 Steady VivaAerobús, Volaris
6  Jalisco, Guadalajara 22,251 Decrease 3 Volaris
7  Yucatán, Mérida 14,098 New entry VivaAerobús
8  Oaxaca, Huatulco 2,745 Decrease 1 Volaris
Embraer 190 Lineage XA-AYJ at TLC

Ground transportation

Facade of the terminal at night

The primary transportation to and from the airport is currently by road, with car rental and taxi services available. The airport lacks consistent public transport, private shuttles, and bus services. However, a shuttle connecting to the Toluca-Mexico City train line El Insurgente is expected to start in 2024, connecting to the Metepec railway station and improving overall accessibility.[6]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Click Mexicana meets the first year of operations". T21 (in Spanish). July 2006. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  2. ↑ "Estadística Operacional de Aeropuertos / Statistics by Airport". Agencia Federal de Aviación Civil. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
  3. ↑ "Viva Aerobus Adds Flights To Mexico City's Toluca Airport". Simple Flying. May 17, 2022.
  4. ↑ {{cite web|url= https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Lic.+Adolfo+López+Mateos+International+Airport,+Toluca,+State+of+Mexico,+Mexico/Santa+Fe,+Mexico+City,+CDMX,+Mexico/@19.3519348,-99.6045898,10.5z/data=!4m13!4m12!1m5!1m1!1s0x85cd8a9c1bd3d19f:0x32b410ec2b6e1e99!2m2!1d-99.5714233!2d19.3374294!1m5!1m1!1s0x85d201ac48275263:0x74eb214ea864a76f!2m2!1d-99.2255625!2d19.3863928?entry=ttu
  5. ↑ "Estadística operacional por origen-destino / Traffic Statistics by City Pairs" (in Spanish). Agencia Federal de Aviación Civil. January 2023. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
  6. ↑ "Mayor Sheinbaum announces CDMX-Toluca train will be completed in 2023". December 2022. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
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