The reason is that last December, through the Official Gazette of the Federation (DOF) it was announced that for this year an increase in the Airport Use Fee (TUA) would be authorized for the Mexico City International Airport ( AICM) which generates a higher price for air travel to both national and international destinations.
Jesús Rosano García, general director of the AICM, announced what the new TUA rates would be, which are in force from January 1 to December 31, 2022.
What is the TUA and why does it affect air travel?
The TUA is a charge to passengers for the use of the facilities and services in the different airports in Mexico, according to Viva Aerobús. Usually, this fee is already included in the cost of the plane ticket, but some airlines break down their price for greater transparency.
The fee is used to maintain and manage the different airports in Mexico and its cost varies from city to city. However, in this note, we are going to share with you the prices that correspond to the AICM.
It must be taken into account that this rate usually represents between 30% and 50% of the total cost of a plane trip, which is why it directly affects the passenger.
How much did the TUA increase in 2022?
The TUA for 2022, national and international, are expressed in US dollars for easier conversion with respect to international clients.
On a monthly basis, the AICM will determine its equivalent value in Mexican pesos, using the monthly average of the exchange rate published in the DOF by the Bank of Mexico.
The new TUA for 2022 that will affect the prices of all air travel will be the following:
- National TUA – 26.02 dollars (about 530 Mexican pesos in January 2022).
- International TUA – 49.41 dollars (about one thousand 5 Mexican pesos in January 2022).
The increase, compared to last year, was significant, since the national rate was 24.50 dollars (up 1.50) and the international rate was 46.52 (up 2.89 dollars). This implies an increase of 6.2% for 2022.
TUA application rules for 2022
For the TUA to be applied when traveling by plane, the following regulations stipulated in the DOF must be met. - The national TUA will be applied to passengers boarding at any airport, if their final destination is national.
- The international TUA will apply to passengers boarding at any airport, if their final destination is abroad.
- The following passengers will pay a TUA of 0 pesos:
a) children up to 2 years old.
b) representatives and diplomatic agents of foreign countries, in case of reciprocity.
c) passengers in transit and in connection in the terms determined by the Ministry of Communications and Transportation.
d) Aeronautical technical personnel on duty with a valid license, that is: pilot, co-pilot, flight attendant and flight mechanic.
