Volaris delays the restart of its operations in Central America until December.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\nExperts estimated that its final cost would be almost 400,000 million pesos (18,548 million dollars) and would be ready in 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Andr\u00e9s Manuel L\u00f3pez Obrador, its main critic, canceled the work upon reaching the Presidency of Mexico, supported by a citizen consultation and as an alternative he presented the Military Air Base of Santa Luc\u00eda, State of Mexico, to build the airport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At the end of September 2019, Lopez Obrador declared this construction as a matter of “national security” and it began in mid-October 2019 with a budget of 75 billion pesos (about 3,485 million dollars).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
COLOSSAL PUZZLE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nThe construction of the airport in Santa Luc\u00eda is like a mile-long puzzle, which must be solved against the clock and which the Ministry of National Defense (Sedena), in charge of the work, is trying to solve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To give it shape and “accommodate” hundreds of thousands of square meters of construction, around 900 military personnel are in charge of controlling the execution of the huge project in which more than 22,200 workers are working.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The difficulty of the monumental challenge began on the same day as the works, October 17, 2019, when L\u00f3pez Obrador established March 21, 2022 as the opening date, that is, 26 months of work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“The progress of the work is at 30.34% and is above the schedule we have planned,” said the construction engineer Jos\u00e9 Juan Mar\u00edn Sol\u00eds in an interview with Efe. “On March 21, 2022 we will deliver the airport in operation,” he added during a tour of Efe to check on progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
AN ARMY IN CHARGE AND ANOTHER WORKING<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nThe parade of trucks and dump trucks at the construction site, and of people, is unceasing. The vehicles move thousands of tons of construction materials, while others arrive from the airport that was to be built in Texcoco.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the distance, hundreds of workers look like ants doing their jobs. They represent an unparalleled workforce that works eight-hour days and in some areas, where work does not stop, they are divided into three shifts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Others who also work hard every day, amidst constant and heavy clouds of dust, are the technicians in charge of the excavators, cranes and forklifts, who make constant maneuvers without stopping their shifts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the Mexican Army, in the almost 11 months of construction, the work has generated some 39,500 jobs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n