The plan to provide spaces for ride-hail vehicles at Mexico City’s International Airport (AICM) was rejected again on Friday due to opposition from airport taxi service providers.
The AICM parking plan was aimed at converting a short-stay parking lot to facilitate quick passenger pick-up and drop-off and offer passengers a designated waiting area for ride-hailing services, such as Uber and Didi.
El #AICM está adaptando paraderos para que los taxis de aplicación puedan recoger a pasajeros. Aunque los puntos están habilitados en las terminales 1 y 2, los usuarios y conductores aseguran que no hay señalizaciones. #ImagenNoticias hizo un recorrido en la zona: pic.twitter.com/1xPn5AKL54
— Nacho Lozano (@nacholozano) March 20, 2026
“The short-stay parking area would have had a capacity of 200 spaces and primarily served two purposes: one, for people who were simply picking someone up or dropping them off at the airport; and two, for ride-hailing services to have a place to wait for their customers,” explained AICM Director Juan José Padilla Olmos.
In March, taxi drivers blocked access roads to both airport terminals to protest the government’s ongoing support for ride-hailing apps operating at AICM.
During the disagreement between the government and AICM taxi services, passengers arriving at AICM have been forced to seek alternative transport or walk long distances to board Ubers.
President Claudia Sheinbaum acknowledged the situation during her daily press conference on Friday, emphasizing that the airport is still being remodeled and that once the work is completed, mobility within the airport terminals will be reorganized, including the operation of licensed taxis and ride-hailing services.
Sheinbaum also announced that traditional taxis and ride-hailing vehicles will operate in separate areas within the airport.
The new plan is aimed at stopping passengers from having to walk long distances to nearby avenues to board a taxi, as is currently the case for many.
While passengers may still have to walk further to the designated ride-hailing bays, improvements to mobility will make this easier, according to the president.
“The airport will be well-lit, with ramps and everything needed to get there,” Sheinbaum said.
The new boarding areas will be available in both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, and the move is expected to reduce traffic congestion.
Under the new system, ride-hailing services will need to indicate designated collection spots to users to facilitate the meeting between users and drivers.
Authorities recommended checking the information within the app before leaving the terminal, as the exact pick-up point may vary depending on the time of day or service availability.
With reports from El Financiero, Reporte Indigo and El Norte
