By far the largest infrastructure expansion project currently under way in the nine airports in the Group is the construction of a second runway in Cancún. This development was assessed by the company to be absolutely necessary in order for the airport to be capable of handling the growth in passenger traffic, while maintaining the high standards of safety and service that we are proud to have achieved.
In the specific case of Cancún Airport, which is surrounded by unspoilt forests, building new infrastructure inevitably involves the alteration of natural habitats to a greater or lesser extent. In response, ASUR has undertaken a series of measures in order to offset this environmental impact.
In the planning stage of the project, a complete environmental impact assessment was performed. As the construction of the second runway involved the deforestation of the runway landing strip itself and the surrounding safety area, as required under international aviation safety regulations, particular attention was paid to the effects of this project on local species of flora and fauna.
One species of palm has been identified that grows in the area surrounding the airport, and which is threatened with extinction in the southeast of Mexico due to habitat destruction and over harvesting for use as a construction material: Thrinax radiata, also called the Florida Thatch Palm and known locally as the Chit Palm.
A total of over 6,000 Chit Palms have been relocated from the runway construction site and planted elsewhere on the grounds of the airport, where they are watered and tended to in order to ensure their survival. To date, a total of over 20,000 Chit Palms have been rescued by the airport. Other natural resources have also been reclaimed from the site: the remaining vegetation that was removed was chipped and turned into compost, and fertile topsoil was recovered from the site to be used for planting in the green areas surrounding the rest of the airport buildings.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, in order to be granted permission by the environmental authorities for the construction project to go ahead, ASUR paid into the Reforestation Fund of the Mexican Forestry Commission. This fund is used to finance sustainable reforestation projects in areas where they are most urgently needed.