Terminal Aérea metro station

Terminal Aérea metro station^[a] is a Mexico City Metro station next to the Mexico City International Airport in Venustiano Carranza, Mexico City. It is an underground station with two side platforms, served by Line 5 (the Yellow Line), between Oceanía and Hangares stations. The station serves colonias (neighborhoods) of Peñón de los Baños and Moctezuma 2ª sección.

Terminal Aérea
STC rapid transit
Station sign, 2006
General information
Location	Puerto Aéreo Boulevard Venustiano Carranza, Mexico City Mexico
Coordinates	19°26′01″N 99°05′16″W / 19.433734°N 99.087667°W / 19.433734; -99.087667
Owned by	Government of Mexico City
Operated by	Sistema de Transporte Colectivo (STC)
Line(s)	(Politécnico – Pantitlán)
Platforms	2 side platforms
Tracks	2
Connections	Mexico City International Airport Aerotrén Terminal 1 Routes: 43, 200 Trolleybus Line 4: Terminal Aérea Route: 20-B
Construction
Structure type	Underground
Other information
Status	In service
History
Opened	19 December 1981
Passengers
2022	4,419,693^[1]  29.58%
Rank	69/195^[1]
Services
Preceding station Mexico City Metro Following station Oceanía toward Politécnico Line 5 Hangares toward Pantitlán
Route map Legend Politécnico Instituto del Petróleo Autobuses del Norte La Raza Misterios Valle Gómez Consulado Eduardo Molina Aragón Oceanía Terminal Aérea Hangares Pantitlán This diagram: view talk edit
Location
Terminal Aérea Location within Mexico City
Area map and exits

Terminal Aérea metro station was opened on 19 December 1981, on the first day of the then Consulado–Pantitlán service. The station's pictogram features an airliner and a control tower, and its name is on account of its proximity to the check-in areas at Terminal 1 of the Mexico City International Airport. There are six murals painted by David Lach inside the station. In 2019, the station had an average daily ridership of 18,389 passengers, making it the 96th busiest station in the network and the fourth busiest of the line.

Location

 

View of Terminal Aérea bus stop seen from Puerto Aéreo Boulevard

Terminal Aérea is a metro station on Puerto Aéreo Boulevard, in Venustiano Carranza borough, in eastern Mexico City,^[3] 200 meters (660 ft) away from Mexico City International Airport Terminal 1, Gate A.^[4][5] On their Policy Review of Mexico, the OECD criticized the station for not having proper signage and for not being designed for first-time travelers as they "must negotiate over 110 steps" to reach it.^[6] Terminal Aérea also serves the colonias (Mexican Spanish for "neighborhoods") of Peñón de los Baños and Moctezuma 2ª sección in the Venustiano Carranza borough.^[7] Within the system, the station lies between Oceanía and Hangares stations.^[7]

The area is serviced by Terminal 1 Metrobús station (Line 4), Line 4 (formerly Line G) of the trolleybus system,^[7] Routes 43 and 200 of the Red de Transporte de Pasajeros network,^[8] by Route 20-B of the city's public bus system,^[9] and the airport's Aerotrén.^[10]

Exits

There are two exits.^[7]

• East: Puerto Aéreo Boulevard and Aeropuerto Civil Street, Peñón de los Baños.
• West: Puerto Aéreo Boulevard (between Norte 33 Street and Oriente 33 Street), Moctezuma 2ª sección.

History and construction

 

View of the station platforms in 2006

Line 5 of the Mexico City Metro was built by Cometro, a subsidiary of Empresas ICA;^[11] Terminal Aérea metro station was opened on 19 December 1981, on the first day of the then Consulado–Pantitlán service.^[12] Terminal Aérea metro station was built underground,^[13] with Santo Tomás marble floors, travertine marble walls, and rustic-textured stucco plafond. Inside, there are six murals^[11] and the station logo represents an airliner in front of a control tower.^[7]

Between the Oceanía–Terminal Aérea interstation, which is 1,174 meters (3,852 ft) long,^[14] the track goes from the street level to the underground one,^[11] and when it was opened the track had a 4.9% slope.^[15] For the Terminal Aérea–Hangares interstation tunnel, slurry walls were built using the Milan method,^[11] and it is 1,153 meters (3,783 ft) long.^[14][16]

Near Terminal Aérea station, in Peñon de los Baños, workers found the remains of mammoths, bison, horses, camels, birds, and fishes, as well as a Teotihuacan settlement.^[17]

Before the station was built, Mexico City International Airport was serviced by Aeropuerto station on Line 1 (the Pink line), located 15 blocks away.^[18] After Terminal Aérea metro station was built, people still got off Aeropuerto due to the confusing name and pictogram, an airliner silhouette.^[19][20] It was until 1997 that the station was renamed "Boulevard Puerto Aéreo" and the logo was replaced with a pictogram of a bridge with a dome below, in reference to local features.^[21]

Incidents

On 4 May 2015, an accident took place in Oceanía station when a train coming from Terminal Aérea metro station crashed another one parked at the end of the platforms.^[22] After the crash, the station was temporarily closed for repairs.^[23] Since 1981, subsidence increased the Oceanía–Terminal Aérea slope to at least 7% which contributed to the crash.^[24] To reduce the slope subsidence caused by rainfall, a 1 km (0.62 mi) tunnel was planned, but due to a lack of budget the project was canceled.^[22] Instead, an 800 m (0.50 mi) roof that cost 65 million pesos was built to prevent the tracks from getting wet and to avoid trains from sliding.^[25]

From 1 to 16 March 2020, Terminal Aérea, Hangares, and Pantitlán stations were closed due to a leak of gasoline in a surface petrol station.^[26]

Ridership

According to the data provided by the authorities since the 2000s, and before the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on public transport, commuters averaged per year between 15,100 and 18,400 daily entrances between 2013 and 2019; the station had a ridership of 6,712,062 passengers (18,389 passengers per day) passengers in 2019,^[27] which was an increase of 74,719 passengers compared to 2018.^[28] Also in 2019, Terminal Aérea metro station was the 96th busiest of the system's 195 stations and the line's fourth busiest.^[27]

Annual passenger ridership
Year	Ridership	Average daily	Rank	% change	Ref.
2022	5,727,082	15,690	69/195	+29.58%	^[1]
2021	4,419,693	12,108	64/195	+12.09%	^[29]
2020	3,943,045	10,773	92/195	−41.25%	^[30]
2019	6,712,062	18,389	96/195	+1.13%	^[27]
2018	6,637,343	18,184	100/195	+5.65%	^[28]
2017	6,282,484	17,212	105/195	+2.70%	^[31]
2016	6,117,190	16,713	108/195	+3.03%	^[32]
2015	5,937,008	16,265	106/195	+3.53%	^[33]
2014	5,734,509	15,710	108/195	+3.57%	^[34]
2013	5,536,824	15,169	113/195	+1.08%	^[35]

Landmarks

Terminal Aérea station has six murals painted by Mexican artist David Lach in 1981, becoming the first person to do it inside the Mexico City Metro.^[36] Four murals, titled Paisajes cálidos y fríos,^[37] are located at the platform's headwalls (Cálidos in the southern walls and Fríos in the northern walls).^[11] According to Lach, the red and green colors represent direction and temperature.^[38] The other two murals are located in the lobby and are titled Tlaltilco (east lobby) and Cuitzeo (west lobby).^[11][37] They represent a mixture of the pre-Columbian era with contemporary Mexico.^[36]

A pedestrian bridge nicknamed "MacPuente" is located near the station. People use it as an improvised observation deck to see the landing and take-off of airplanes.^[39][40]

Gallery

Murals by David Lach

 

Cuitzeo, in honor of pre-Hispanic cultures

 

Tlatilco, in honor of pre-Hispanic cultures

 

One of the Paisajes Cálidos

 

One of the Paisajes Fríos

There are multiple murals inside Terminal Aérea station.

Notes

1. Estación del Metro Terminal Aérea. Spanish pronunciation: [teɾ.miˈnal aˈe.ɾe.a] ( listen). The name of the station literally means "Air Terminal" in Spanish and it is known in English as Air Terminal station.^[2]

References

1. "Afluencia de estación por línea 2022" [Station traffic per line 2022] (in Spanish). Sistema Transporte Colectivo Metro. 2023. from the original on 5 March 2023. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
2. Sultana, Selima; Weber, Joe (2016). Minicars, Maglevs, and Mopeds: Modern Modes of Transportation Around the World. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO. p. 194. ISBN 978-1-4408-3494-3.
3. "Metro". Mexico City International Airport. 25 July 2017. from the original on 9 July 2017. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
4. Baird, David; Cristiano, Juan; Bairstow, Lynne (2007). Frommer's Mexico 2008. New York City: John Wiley & Son. p. 90. ISBN 9780470145746.
5. Harvard Student Agencies (1995). Hale-Wehmann, Kenneth (ed.). "Let's Go: The Budget Guide to Mexico". Let's Go!. New York City: St. Martin's Press: 60. ISSN 0884-6529. OCLC 11735368.
6. OECD (2017). OECD Studies on Tourism: Tourism Policy Review of Mexico. Paris, France: OECD. p. 105. ISBN 978-92-64-26657-5.
7. "Terminal Aérea" (in Spanish). Sistema de Transporte Colectivo Metro. from the original on 8 August 2011. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
8. "Red de Rutas" [Routes network] (in Spanish). Red de Transporte de Pasajeros. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
9. "Red de corredores" [Route network] (in Spanish). Retrieved 30 October 2021.
10. "Aerotren". Mexico City International Airport. from the original on 25 February 2021. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
11. "Línea 5, Ciudad de México" [Line 5, Mexico City] (in Spanish). iNGENET Infraestructura. 20 July 2009. from the original on 2 September 2014. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
12. "Baia, Baia, Tacubaya... Las estaciones del metro MÁS y MENOS utilizadas en CDMX" [Well, well, well... The MOST and LEAST used stations in Mexico City] (in Spanish). Nación 321. 4 September 2019. from the original on 15 April 2020. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
13. "Terminal Aérea Metro Station (Mexico City, 1981)". Structurae.net. from the original on 18 June 2020. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
14. "Longitud de estación a estación por línea" [Station-to-station length per line] (in Spanish). Sistema de Transporte Colectivo Metro. from the original on 4 May 2021. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
15. "Plan Maestro del Metro 2018 – 2030" [Master Plan 2018 – 2030] (PDF) (in Spanish). Sistema de Transporte Colectivo Metro. 2018. p. 59. (PDF) from the original on 17 December 2019.
16. Gamez Rojas, Marlen (2010). [Analysis of fire risks in the Sistema de Transporte Colectivo Metro] (PDF) (in Spanish). Escuela Superior de Ingeniería Mecánica y Eléctrica. Instituto Politécnico Nacional. p. 94. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 November 2020.
17. Sánchez Vázquez, Ma. de Jesús; Mena Cruz, Alberto; Carballal Staedtler, Margarita (2010). "Investigación Arqueológica en la Construcción del Metro" [Archaeological Research in the Construction of the Metro] (PDF) (in Spanish). Mexico City: Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia. (PDF) from the original on 9 July 2020. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
18. Asociación del Congreso Panamericano de Ferrocarriles (1975). Boletín de la Comisión Permanente [Newsletter of the Permanent Commission] (in Spanish). Vol. 58. p. 154.
19. Noble, John; Bernhardson, Wayne (1995). Mexico (5 ed.). Hawthorn, Victoria: Lonely Planet. p. 219. ISBN 0864422911.
20. Wood, Andrew G. (2003). Pilcher, Jeffrey M. (ed.). The Human Tradition in Mexico. Wilmington, Delaware: SR Books. p. 185. ISBN 0-8420-2975-3.
21. Santos Gallagher, Hugo (14 July 2017). "¿Por qué algunas estaciones del Metro cambiaron de nombre?" [Why the names of some stations were changed?]. El Universal (in Spanish). from the original on 5 August 2018. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
22. Pazos, Francisco (27 July 2016). "Techumbre antilluvia alcanza 45% de avance de la Línea 5: Terminal Aérea y Oceanía" [Rainproof roof reaches 45% progress in Line 5: Terminal Aérea and Oceanía]. Excélsior (in Spanish). from the original on 27 May 2020. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
23. Alarcón, Rodrigo (5 May 2015). "RTP brindará traslado gratuito de Pantitlán a Eduardo Molina" [Red de Transporte de Pasajeros will provide free service from Pantitlán to Eduardo Molina]. Excélsior. from the original on 30 October 2017. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
24. Kornei, Katherine (20 December 2017). "Sinking of Mexico City linked to metro accident, with more to come". Science. from the original on 14 January 2020. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
25. Valdez, Ilich (13 December 2016). "Concluyen obra en L5 del Metro para evitar accidentes" [Work is completed on Metro L5 to avoid accidents]. Milenio (in Spanish). from the original on 30 May 2021. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
26. "Reabren estaciones de L5 del Metro cerradas por fuga de gasolina" [Reopened the Metro L5's station closed by a gasoline leak]. Milenio (in Spanish). 17 March 2017. from the original on 18 March 2020. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
27. "Afluencia de estación por línea 2019" [Station traffic per line 2019] (in Spanish). Sistema Transporte Colectivo Metro. 2020. from the original on 3 July 2020. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
28. "Afluencia de estación por línea 2018" [Station traffic per line 2018] (in Spanish). Sistema Transporte Colectivo Metro. 2019. from the original on 6 June 2019. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
29. "Afluencia de estación por línea 2021" [Station traffic per line 2021] (in Spanish). Sistema Transporte Colectivo Metro. 2022. from the original on 7 March 2022. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
30. "Afluencia de estación por línea 2020" [Station traffic per line 2020] (in Spanish). Sistema Transporte Colectivo Metro. 2021. from the original on 21 June 2021. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
31. "Afluencia de estación por línea 2017" [Station traffic per line 2017] (in Spanish). Sistema Transporte Colectivo Metro. 2019. from the original on 3 May 2020. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
32. "Afluencia de estación por línea 2016" [Station traffic per line 2016] (in Spanish). Sistema Transporte Colectivo Metro. 2017. from the original on 3 May 2020. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
33. "Afluencia de estación por línea 2015" [Station traffic per line 2015] (in Spanish). Sistema Transporte Colectivo Metro. 2016. from the original on 3 May 2020. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
34. "Afluencia de estación por línea 2014" [Station traffic per line 2014] (in Spanish). Sistema Transporte Colectivo Metro. 2015. from the original on 3 May 2020. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
35. "Afluencia de estación por línea 2013" [Station traffic per line 2013] (in Spanish). Sistema Transporte Colectivo Metro. 2014. from the original on 3 May 2020. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
36. "Un verano para disfrutar los murales expuestos en estaciones del Metro" [A summer to enjoy the murals displayed in Metro stations] (in Spanish). Radio Fórmula. 21 July 2012. from the original on 15 April 2020. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
37. "Primer periodo ordinario de sesiones del segundo año de ejercicio" [First ordinary session of the second year of activities] (PDF) (in Spanish). Legislative Assembly of Mexico City. 25 July 2007. p. 40. (PDF) from the original on 18 July 2014. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
38. "Paisajes cálidos y fríos" [Warm and Cold Landscapes] (in Spanish). Sistema Transporte Colectivo Metro. from the original on 24 December 2017. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
39. Bialostozky, Héctor (28 August 2019). "MacPuente: el puente peatonal en el Aeropuerto que se usa como mirador de aviones" [MacPuente: the pedestrian bridge in the Airport that is used as aircraft observation deck] (in Spanish). Local.mx. from the original on 15 April 2020. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
40. De Anda, Tamara (14 December 2017). "Excéntrica CDMX – Vuela, vuela" [Eccentric Mexico City – Fly, fly] (in Spanish). máspormás. from the original on 15 December 2017. Retrieved 16 April 2020.

External links

•   Media related to Terminal Aérea (station) at Wikimedia Commons
• "Metro Terminal Aérea". At the Official Guide to Mexico City.