Mexico City /
In 2012 there was a dream: that Mexico, by 2020, would add 12 billion dollars in exports for the industry aerospace; however, this was not achieved at that time.
However, four years later, That goal seems closerbecause thanks to the relocation of production chains on a global scale, phenomenon known as nearshoringthis is about to become a reality.
In an interview with MILLENNIUMthe general director of the Mexican Federation of Industry Aerospace (Femia), Luis Lizcano predicts that this year the sector’s exports will total around 10,635 million dollarswhich, in addition to being the first time that the pre-pandemic figure will be exceeded, will also mean a historic record.
This amount will be 9.8 percent higher than that recorded in 2023, when it totaled 9,682 million dollars.
“Thirty years ago, the aerospace industry was not in the spotlight in the world, but as we have advanced, We are already in 10th position worldwidea place where we have remained for several periods,” said Lizcano.
Data from Femia points out that export growth also occurred in 2022with an advance of 14 percent, and in 2021 of 7.5 percent, all this just after the health emergency and the boom of nearshoring global.
“The national industry plays an important role in international supply chains,” he said.
The Spanish agency for the promotion of export and investment (ICEX) states that Mexico became a key center for aircraft manufacturing and industry aerospace overall, hosting more than 350 international companies.
“Production in the country has shown steady growth in recent years, as the production of components for industry has increased, including parts for aircraft, satellites and other related equipment,” he explained.
Information from the Ministry of Economy indicates that from 2019 to June 2024, the sector received a investment foreign company specialized in the sector aerospace of 1,084.6 million dollars, of which 842.6 million were installed after the health emergency.
It should be noted that this The sector has 36,741 employees as of July of this year7.3 percent more than what was recorded at the end of 2023, and is already 2.3 percent above what was recorded in 2019, its highest level since the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi) has records.
Distribution
Lizcano pointed out that 20 entities in the country have companies in the sector aerospacebut most are concentrated in Sonora, Chihuahua, Nuevo León, Baja California and Querétaro.
Some of the companies operating in the country are Safran, Honeywell Aerospace, Grupo Infra, ITP Aero, Thales and Hemaq.
Of Of the parts manufactured in Mexico for the sector, 80 percent are sent to the United States; followed by Canada with 4.7 percent, France with 3.5 percent, and Germany with 3.2 percent.
According to industry reports, the United States ranks first in the ranking aerospacefollowed by France, China and India.
“The aerospace industry has seen an increase in the number of export revenues, which is also related to the recovery after the pandemic, in addition to the increase in market activity, which requires more aircraft and, therefore, requires more aircraft parts,” emphasized Fernando Gómez Suárez, an academic at the Universidad Panamericana and an aviation sector specialist.
Not everything flies
On the other hand, part of the aviation sector is going through difficult times due to the slowdown in its activity and the lack of airplanes for the overhaul of the engines of the Airbus A320neo aircraft.
One of The companies that will have a difficult 2024 will be the Pacific Airport Group (GAP), which predicts a 3 to 5 percent drop in passenger traffic and, consequently, a 2 to 4 percent drop in revenue.
According to GAPThis negative scenario is due to the smaller fleet that Mexican airlines will have due to the overhaul of the A320neo aircraft engines.
For the North Central Airport Group (OMA), the forecast is to have a 2024 without growth in passenger movementremaining at around 26 million 845 thousand.
Another company in this situation is Volariswhich estimates a 14 percent reduction in its ability to move
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