Querétaro’s Aeropuerto Internacional Shines as Fourth-Largest Cargo Handler in Mexico
Querétaro, Qro. Among the 10 Mexican airports with the highest cargo movement in the first four months of 2025, Querétaro’s Aeropuerto Internacional (AIQ) was one of the three exceptions showing annual growth.
Cargo Volume Growth
AIQ transported 24,832.7 tonnes of cargo from January to April 2025, experiencing a 1.7% annual growth rate, according to records from the Secretaría de Infraestructura, Comunicaciones y Transportes (SICT).
The moderate variation is due to the decline in cargo movement during February and April. While January saw an 8.2% annual increase, February experienced a -20.5% change, March had a 27% growth, and April saw a -4.4% decrease.
AIQ’s growth, with the accumulated tonnage from January to April, was more positive than its performance a year ago. In the first quarter of 2024, cargo volume had decreased by 5.4%.
Domestic and International Cargo
Domestic shipments propelled the airport’s activity in the first four months of 2025, as this type of cargo grew by 5.5% compared to 2024, while international cargo fell by 6.6%.
Domestic cargo strengthened its contribution to airport operations, as AIQ received 71.2% of the total tonnage moved in Q1 2025, surpassing the 68.7% contribution from a year prior.
Conversely, international cargo contributed 28.8% of the volume moved from January to April 2025, below the 31.3% contributed in the previous year.
April Performance and Ranking
- In April alone, AIQ moved 6,345.8 tonnes, a 4.4% decrease compared to April 2024.
- This tonnage placed AIQ as the fourth-largest cargo handler in the country, accounting for 6.6% of the total volume moved.
- The Aeropuerto Internacional Felipe Ángeles (AIFA) led the rankings with 31.9%, experiencing a -20% annual decline in cargo movement.
- The Aeropuerto Internacional de Ciudad de México (AICM) followed in second place with 20.5%, and saw a 4.5% growth rate in April.
- The Aeropuerto de Guadalajara took third place with 14.5%, and experienced a 2.6% annual increase.
By cargo type, the top five airports for domestic cargo were Querétaro (15.8%), Ciudad de México (13.9%), Guadalajara (11.4%), Monterrey (9.1%), and San Luis Potosí (6.9%).
For international cargo, the top five airports were AIFA (45.5%), AICM (23.6%), Guadalajara (15.9%), Monterrey (5.2%), and Cancún (3.1%).
Key Questions and Answers
- What is the significance of Querétaro’s AIQ cargo movement? Querétaro’s AIQ has shown a positive trend in cargo movement, ranking as the fourth-largest cargo handler in Mexico.
- How has AIQ’s performance changed compared to last year? AIQ’s current growth is more positive than its performance in the first quarter of 2024, which saw a 5.4% decrease in cargo volume.
- What role do domestic and international shipments play in AIQ’s success? Domestic shipments have driven the airport’s activity, while international cargo has seen a slight decline.
