Responding to sanctions, Mexico cedes slots to US airlines at AICM

In effect to U.S. Department of Transportation sanctions against Mexico’s aviation sector, Mexican airlines ceded immoderate clip slots astatine Mexico City International Airport (AICM) to U.S. carriers.

“Several weeks ago, determination was a redistribution successful slots successful which Mexican airlines gave up their spots to U.S. airlines, taking competitiveness into account,” President Claudia Sheinbaum said successful her Monday greeting property conference, adding that the Mexican airlines cooperated fully.

The binational spat began successful 2023 erstwhile Mexico moved immoderate U.S. flights from the established AICM airdrome to the newer AIFA airdrome (shown here) for abstraction reasons, starring to punitive sanctions by the U.S. Mexico seems to beryllium walking that back, but President Sheinbaum emphasized that she volition punctual U.S. authorities that the Mexico City metropolitan country has 2 main airports and she volition marque definite their usage is integrated. (@Claudiashein/X)

Sheinbaum besides sent a negotiating squad to Washington to clasp talks with the Transportation Department (DOT) successful hopes of having the punitive measures lifted.

“We anticipation to marque wide to U.S. officials that [greater Mexico City] has 2 main airports and it is my government’s work to marque definite that they run arsenic an integrated system,” she said, claiming that DOT representatives appeared receptive to the notion.

The struggle implicit the allocation of flights and routes came to a caput successful October erstwhile DOT revoked support for 13 routes operated by Mexican airlines to the U.S. from Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA) and AICM. 

DOT’s actions were successful effect to the erstwhile Mexican administration’s determination to trim overseas slots astatine AICM — impacting U.S. carriers similar United, Delta and American — and pushing U.S. cargo operators similar FedEx and UPS to the caller AIFA.

Then-President Andrés Manuel López Obrador announced the slot cuts and cargo formation move successful 2022, citing oversaturation astatine the centrally located AICM, which is presently undergoing renovations up of adjacent year’s FIFA World Cup.

The U.S. besides canceled combined cargo and rider services from AIFA and, successful September, DOT ordered the termination of the Delta-Aeroméxico associated venture. Last week, a U.S. appeals tribunal temporarily halted the order dissolving the Delta-Aeroméxico partnership.

Sheinbaum did not disclose the nonstop fig of airdrome slots transferred to U.S. airlines, saying lone that the measures are based connected competitiveness criteria. She spoke of implementing a integer formation organisation strategy adjacent year, insisting that U.S. and different planetary airlines were already connected board.

The president besides told reporters that she met personally with cargo carriers to code their concerns, which see a request for caller customs procedures arsenic cargo companies indispensable wage to vessel imported goods by onshore from AIFA to AICM since the erstwhile does not person a customs office.

“They raised different issues that request addressing,” Sheinbaum said, “and we’re going to enactment them successful this process … talks volition proceed with the knowing that we tin scope an agreement.”

With reports from Reuters, Airline Geeks, El Universal and El Economista