The site known as Llanos de Balbuena has been used for aviation since 1910. That year, Alberto Braniff made the first powered flight over Mexican soil, flying a French Voisin aircraft with a 50-horsepower engine. On November 30, 1911, President Francisco I. Madero became the world's first head of state to fly in an airplane, piloted by Geo M. Dyott of Moisant International. In 1915, the site opened as Balbuena Military Airport, equipped with five runways. A small civilian airport opened in 1928, with regular commercial service starting in 1929 and was officially inaugurated on May 15, 1931. On July 8, 1943, it was granted international status and launched its first international route to Los Angeles, operated by Mexicana de Aviación. From 1949 to 1951, the airport expanded with a new runway (05R-23L), an apron, a control tower, and administration offices. President Miguel Alemán inaugurated a renovated passenger terminal on November 19, 1952. By 1956, the airport operated with four runways: 05L-23R (2,720 metres (8,920 ft)), 05R-23L (3,000 metres (9,800 ft)), featuring electric lights for night-time service; 13-31 (2,300 metres (7,500 ft)), built to replace Runway 14-32, which was too close to adjacent residential areas; and Runway 5 Auxiliary (759 metres (2,490 ft)). On December 2, 1963, the airport's name was changed from "Aeropuerto Central" (Central Airport) to "Aeropuerto Internacional de la Ciudad de México" (Mexico City International Airport). In the 1970s, the two shortest runways (13/31 and 5 Auxiliary) were closed to facilitate the construction of a social housing complex in that area, named Unidad Fiviport. This left the airport with its current two-runway layout. The Mexico City Area Control Center (ACC) began operating on November 24, 1978, and remains in service. The airport's location in a densely populated area restricts infrastructure expansion. The proximity of the two parallel runways prevents fully independent simultaneous operations, limiting the airport's capacity. The terminal was expanded in 1980, doubling its capacity. In 1990, the terminal was reconfigured to separate domestic and international operations. On April 11, 1994, a new international section opened through a joint venture between Aeropuertos y Servicios Auxiliares (ASA) and Hakim Grupo Industrial. In the 1990s, Mexicana began decentralizing operations to reduce congestion, shifting many flights to Guadalajara, Monterrey, and Mérida. In 1994, all general aviation operations were moved to Toluca International Airport, which became the new hub for private and non-commercial flights. Since then, general aviation has been prohibited, with only military, government, commercial, and authorized flights permitted. In 2001, a satellite concourse with eight gates was added east of the main terminal. The congestion challenges at Mexico City Airport became a prominent issue in Mexican politics in the early 2000s. Large infrastructure projects, particularly in transportation, have historically played a crucial role in presidential legacies due to centralized decision-making, their symbolic significance for progress, and leaders' aspirations to leave a lasting impact. In 2002, President Vicente Fox's administration proposed a new airport on a 5,000 hectares (12,000 acres) site in Atenco and Texcoco. However, the Atenco project faced significant local opposition, particularly from the Community Front in Defense of Land (Spanish: Frente del Pueblo en Defensa de La Tierra, FPDT), representing locals facing displacement. Violent clashes forced the cancellation of the project later that year. Following the cancellation of the Atenco project, the federal government announced an extension to the existing terminal in 2003, increasing its annual capacity from 20 to 32 million passengers.