Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum expressed confidence on Friday that an agreement will be reached with the United States to resolve the aviation issues without putting “users at risk,” while rejecting the elimination of the decree that moved cargo operations from Mexico City International Airport (AICM) to Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA).
Last Tuesday, the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) issued an order to revoke 13 routes of Mexican airlines to U.S. territory, accusing Mexico of violating the terms of the bilateral air transport agreement.
“We do not understand the decision of the U.S. Department of Transportation, but as always, we will seek dialogue to resolve it, without putting users or the operation of Mexico City International Airport itself at risk,” Sheinbaum said at her daily press conference at the National Palace.
“We believe it will be resolved, and we will do everything possible to make it happen,” she added.
The head of state emphasized the problems that would arise from repealing the 2023 decree that transfers delicate cargo flights from AICM to AIFA, located on the outskirts of the Mexican capital.
“It would be very irresponsible to do so (...) there would be a saturation, and besides, we do not believe that it has affected the competition of U.S. airlines, we do not believe it,” she asserted.
Sheinbaum said she hopes this situation “does not have a political background or support for some other U.S. company in the framework of what is being defined for Mexico.”
She also announced that this Friday at noon, she will hold a meeting with the representatives of the main Mexican airlines—Aeroméxico, Volaris, and VivaAerobus—along with the heads of the Secretariat of the Navy, Raymundo Morales, and the directors of AICM and AIFA.
“We are going to listen to the main passenger airlines, which are the most affected (...) to talk jointly with the airlines and their workers who are affected by this decision,” she pointed out, recalling that the transfer of cargo flights to AIFA had been “a technical, not political, decision.”
The decision to revoke 13 routes of Mexican airlines to U.S. territory, announced by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, marks a new episode of tension in the regulatory relations between the two countries, which had maintained a stable cooperation framework since 2016.
The measure comes after months of complaints from the U.S. government, which accuses Mexican authorities of hindering competition by withdrawing or reallocating time slots at Mexico City International Airport (AICM) and Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA) in favor of local companies.
AICM, in the heart of Mexico City, and AIFA, on the outskirts, are the two main airports serving the Mexican capital.
