Teaching Note: All in or fold: facing complex dilemmas of high-stakes decisions for large-scale infrastructure projects

The cancellation of the New Mexico City International Airport (NAIM) by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador represents one of the most controversial decisions in recent Mexican history. Initially conceived as a state-of-the-art infrastructure project to alleviate congestion at the existing airport, the NAIM was well underway, with billions of pesos already invested. However, upon taking office, López Obrador cancelled the project, citing financial concerns, environmental issues and a public consultation that favoured an alternative plan: converting the Santa Lucía military base into a commercial airport.

Rodrigo Montes de la Vega, a young and ambitious Chair of the Board of Grupo...