The Federation of pilots warns about accidents due to the entry into operation of the Felipe Ángeles airport

Tourists take photos of the control tower of the Felipe Ángeles International Airport, in Zumpanago, State of Mexico. Andrea Murcia (Cuartoscuro)

The operation of the Felipe Ángeles Airport (AIFA), one of the jewels in the crown of the infrastructure works of the administration of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, is in doubt.

The International Federation of Airline Pilots (IFALPA, for its acronym in English) has alerted pilots flying over the country about "some incidents of aircraft arriving at the Mexico City International Airport."

According to the official communication, there have been several incidents of aircraft arriving at the International Airport of Mexico City and landing with low fuel levels, in addition to deviations due to saturation of the air port.

The pilots warn that "the opening of the Santa Lucía airport has brought new complications for air traffic controllers, who apparently did not receive the necessary training to operate the redesign of the airspace in the Valley of Mexico," they indicate,

"We are not going to cover the sun with a finger," said Humberto Gual, general secretary of the Mexican pilots' union.

"Issues in the air have increased, that the controllers have not had, in my point of view, training," says the air operator in an interview.

New Safety Bulletin: https://t.co/icuZG4BvDA on Mexico City International Airport (MMMX) #aviationsafety pic.twitter.com/tx6ESr3e8f

– IFALPA (@IFALPA) May 4, 2022

The Federation of Aviators adds that the crews have received indications that they do not adhere to the restrictions to avoid obstacles, in addition, they denounce that the appropriate phraseology of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is not used.

"It is recommended that crews consider carrying additional fuel to allow for the long hold and possible diversions and also consider that the AICM is a high-altitude airport," they say.

The Federation requested that, given the little training of air traffic controllers in Mexico City, pilots should resolve at their discretion the operations they consider "questionable."

The president of Mexico said last week that he had asked Eduardo Tricio, president of Aeroméxico, for help "to expand flights."

At the beginning of his term, López Obrador canceled the construction of another airport that had begun to be built during the Enrique Peña Nieto administration, in the municipality of Texcoco, and promoted a new project based on the expansion of the Santa Cruz military base. Lucia, about 50 kilometers from the capital.

"This is a good airport," the president said a few days ago.

The Ministry of Communications and Transport confirmed this week that it plans to publish a decree in the coming days to reduce flights to and from the Benito Juárez airport, in which operations will drop from 62 to around 50 every hour.

The objective of the measure is to reduce the saturation of the old aerodrome and encourage the activity of the Felipe Ángeles.

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