Inside Mexico’s Failed Airport: The $16 Billion Disaster
Billions spent. A third built. Then abandoned. Mexico’s Texcoco Airport was supposed to be a game-changer—six runways, cutting-edge design, and room for 125 million passengers. Instead, it became a $16 billion ghost town.
And the replacement? A remote military base turned airport that barely anyone uses. How did Mexico turn its biggest airport project into an even bigger disaster? Let’s break it down.
Mexico City has a massive air traffic problem. Its current airport, Benito Juárez International, is one of the busiest in Latin America but was designed for 32 million passengers a year. In 2019, it handled over 50 million—almost twice its capacity. Delays, overcrowding, and aging infrastructure made it clear: Mexico needed a new airport.