infrastructure investments

Our route development team represents a key element in our current business strategy—to attract new airlines, establish new routes, and increase frequencies on existing routes.

ASUR has many opportunities to develop our destinations and increase our visitor numbers, and we have a team dedicated exclusively to route development. They respond to the airlines’ needs, to retain existing routes, increase flight frequencies and create new routes. Our goal is to increase the number of flights to our destinations.

The team also coordinates promotional activities for our destinations with tourism authorities and the airlines and tour operators interested in our airports. This makes route development a cornerstone of our business strategy and a key element for our commitment to promote the destinations where we operate. Route development also ensures improved services for airlines and better use of our own resources.

In 2008, ASUR organized the “Routes Americas” event in Cancún, which was attended by 300 delegates from 50 airlines and 80 airports worldwide. It was the first time this international event was held specifically for the Americas, and it was sponsored by local state governments, Mexico’s Tourism Board and ASUR itself. The event will be repeated in 2009, to position Cancún as a destination on the world stage.

The industry response to 9/11 involved significant changes in airport security, including screening for all hold baggage. ASUR works hard to ensure that security measures like this affect our passengers minimally. This creates a travel experience that is pleasant but above all safe, and is possible thanks to the technology that we have invested in.

Some of our airports have crisis centers for security operations. These help us to prevent high-risk situations, provide immediate assistance for passengers, keep problems under control and assess other service providers that operate in our facilities. Coordinating the activities of the many institutions that work in an airport is a challenge, but it is also an opportunity to improve customer service.

Another ongoing large-scale investment, which will conclude in 2009, is the second runway and new control tower at Cancún International Airport. The project will increase the airport’s capacity greatly, making it the first in Mexico with two runways for simultaneous use. The control tower will be the tallest and most technologically advanced in Latin America.