Nayarit Governor Miguel Ángel Navarro Quintero is confident that the upgraded airport in the state capital Tepic will be welcoming its first international flight in 2024.
His optimistic prediction came on March 16, the day Aeromexico launched a new direct, daily flight from Mexico City to Tepic.
Modifications to the Tepic airport, which include construction of a new control tower, passenger terminal and expansion of the runway, will bring the facility up to the required standards for international arrivals, the governor confirmed. The works should be completed by December, he added.
Navarro is keen for Tepic to provide competition with the Puerto Vallarta airport, which monopolizes the international and domestic tourist routes to the Bahía de Banderas area.
The key to achieving this goal will be the completion of the final stretch of the autopista (toll road) linking Tepic and Puerto Vallarta by next year, reducing the driving time between the two cities to just over an hour. Getting to resorts in Nayarit such as Bucerías, Punta de Mita, San Pancho and La Cruz De Huanacaxtle, should take even less time.
Aeromexico’s new flight fills the market gap left by the demise of Mexican low-cost airline Aeromar, which operated direct flights from Tepic to the capital. The only other major airline to offer a direct flight out of Tepic is Volaris (to Tijuana).
Navarro, who is from the ruling Morena party, said he has the full backing of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and the federal government regarding his plans for the airport.