The U.S. government has imposed new restrictions on flights from Mexico and has threatened to end a longstanding partnership between Delta Air Lines and Aeroméxico, Mexico’s flagship carrier.
The U.S. actions, announced on Saturday, are in response to Mexico’s decision, formalized in 2023, to force airlines out of the Benito Juárez International Airport in Mexico City to the newer Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA) nearly 50 kilometers away in México state.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Monday that her government has not been formally notified and dismissed the notion that Mexico could be sanctioned.
“There’s no reason to impose any sanctions related to this matter,” she said, adding that security and efficiency were the basis for the move regarding the airports. “[The older airport] was very saturated … and had reached operational risk levels.”
Earlier, Mexico’s Transportation Ministry defended the forced relocation in a social media post, citing statistics to demonstrate the improvements that resulted from the move.
In a statement, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the forced relocation violated a bilateral trade agreement by cutting flight slots and mandating that cargo carriers relocate operations, giving domestic Mexican airlines an unfair advantage.
“Mexico has not been in compliance with the bilateral agreement since 2022 when it abruptly rescinded slots and then forced U.S. all-cargo carriers to relocate operations,” he said, adding that the decision “disrupted the market, and left American businesses holding the bag for millions in increased costs.”
Duffy said the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) could also reject flight requests from Mexico if its government fails to address U.S. concerns over decisions made in 2022 and 2023.
The statement also said DOT is considering withdrawing antitrust immunity from Delta’s joint venture with Aeroméxico to address competitive issues.
The Cargo Airline Association (CAA), which represents major U.S. cargo carriers, applauded the U.S. government’s announcement in a July 19 statement.
“Today’s announcement sends a clear and necessary message: the United States will not tolerate unfair, anti-competitive behavior that is counter to the tenants of the U.S. Open Skies framework and harms American businesses,” it said.
Forced relocation of cargo flights
Mexico’s then-President Andrés Manuel López Obrador published a decree on Feb. 2, 2023, that enacted the suspension of cargo operations at the Benito Juárez International Airport (MEX), giving air freight carriers 108 business days to relocate to the AIFA.
The Mexican government said the decision was to allow for construction to alleviate congestion at MEX, but DOT claims the construction has yet to materialize.
In its statement, the CAA criticized Mexico’s unilateral decision, saying the move “not only disrupted critical air cargo operations and set a dangerous precedent for how all-cargo carriers may be treated in global markets, it also created uncertainty about how potential safety emergencies could be handled.”
Reuters reported that the AIFA — inaugurated in March 2022 — is already at full capacity for cargo handling and will have to be expanded. Passenger flights are inconvenienced by the fact that transportation to and from Mexico City remains spotty.
The U.S. Transportation Department actions
The so-called “America First actions” are intended “to combat Mexico’s blatant disregard of the 2015 U.S.-Mexico Air Transport Agreement and its ongoing anti-competitive behavior.”
The actions are:
- Mexican airlines must file schedules with DOT for all U.S. operations.
- Any large passenger or cargo aircraft charter flights to or from the United States operated by Mexican airlines must apply for DOT approval.
- A supplemental Show Cause Order has been formulated that would withdraw the Delta/Aeroméxico joint venture’s antitrust immunity.
DOT says withdrawal of the Delta/Aeroméxico antitrust immunity is, in essence, a corrective action to address competition issues in the market.
Delta responded by saying that if DOT withdraws approval, it “would cause significant harm to consumers traveling between the U.S. and Mexico, as well as U.S. jobs, communities, and transborder competition.”
Mexico is the most popular international destination for U.S. airline travelers with more than 40 million passengers flying there last year.
The news agency Reuters, citing an airline industry analyst, said the broader U.S. goal could be to establish a strong negotiating position ahead of a review of the United States-Mexico-Canada trade agreement (USMCA).
“They are using this as a springboard to gain leverage, just as they did with tariffs and immigration,” Fernando Gómez told Reuters. “USMCA is their ultimate goal.”
With reports from El Universal, El Financiero, The Associated Press and Reuters
It doesn’t appear to affect Mexican Airlines like Viva flying to and from the states as far as I can tell. Did I miss something?
It certainly could affect Mexican airlines flight to and from USA.
“Duffy said the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) could also reject flight requests from Mexico if its government fails to address U.S. concerns over decisions made in 2022 and 2023.”
Anyone should be happy to be “diverted” to AIFA. It’s a much more modern, clean, easy to navigate alternative to Benito Juarez. Another example of the US disregarding Mexico’s interests.
But a much longer drive from Cuernavaca!
Oh its nice but still has no train. Bys swrvice is poor and spotty. Its a qhite elephant kept alive by govt decree. Pini Nietos airport will ine day be built.
What is a “Bys”, “qhite”, and a “ine”?
It was AMLO’s idiocy ghat AIFA was ever built. The brand new one in CDMA had already spent close to $1B in design and const., yet AMLO pulled the plug and moved it 2 hours away from CDMX. Sheinbaum won’t say anything that criticizes AMLO and pulls out the stupid response saying the move made it safer. That’s BS. The new, canceled on would have replace the current on. Now there are 3 airports that are too close together making it many times more dangerous for passengers, not to mention the ridiculous inconvenience of taking 2 hours or more to get to town.
AIFA is worth the extra driving distance, in my opinion. Bonito Juarez is worn out.
Agree.
It would have been infinitely better to continue building the original airport to replace MEX. AMLO is either retarded or got a huge payoff for cancelling the replacement and moving it to AFIA
Good grief! CAA and DOT, Trump and Duffy spreading more manure than I do on 46 hectáreas! All they care about is their corporate douche bags. Never mind all the regular folks who will be affected by their ridiculous new America first actions! Every day these 🤡 ‘s are screwing up what used to be a well ordered world! Hope somethings left after they are done….. And I REALLY hope they don’t cancel my Thursday flight! 🤣
I have two flights coming up next month. It’s always something.
Oh its nice but still has no train. Bys swrvice is poor and spotty. Its a qhite elephant kept alive by govt decree. Pini Nietos airport will ine day be built.
If it was a great airport, airlines would line up to fly there. Its too damn far and hard to get there. At least toluca is more accessible. Its a white elephant.
Mexican airlines had similar squaking about being forced to move but were quickly silenced by AMLO. And forcing freight to land 50 km from city center did not make business happy. The freighters landed at night and did not affect passenger service. A world class airport closer to the city was planned by his predecessor bit was canceled by AMLO.
AMLO made a big boner by not completing the new airport, abandoning billions $$$ USD in the process. The new airport is too far away from Mexico City’s core.
The word is bus. A “train” or metro was promised. NOT. It is an hour to change flights if you are lucky enough to get a fast cab. Forget the bus or nearby train that doesn’t stop at the Benito Juarez International airport. International airport. AMLO had a good idea, but under delivered. Now it’s a hassle unless you want to be like a Mexican maga. Ignore the on the ground reality to score political points. It’s all about “follow the money.” Once someone gets paid, this will somehow go away.
Connections is the issue. There are far fewer connections at AIFA if one’s destination is another Mexican airport. You would have to take a cab and self transfer luggage etc from AIFA to MEX to catch a connection to Puerto Escondido for example.
The abandoned new airport project was set in a wetlands area, and is now under water, as a result of recent heavy rains in CDMX area. So maybe was not such a good place to build an airport at all!
The two airports are non connected. Since all mexico destinations MUST go through Max City, connecting flights are impossible.
The site where the airport was slated is under water now! It was going to be a steal for the neoliberals. Mexicans are delighted with the AIFA, a master move by AMLO. It’s a magnificent and efficient airport. Timed an Uber from downtown Mexico and took only 50 min. to get there mid day. The critics will never be happy because it was AMLO’s decision to build the AIFA. Things will be just fine after the a quick 4 years of combative and corrupt US interventionists.
🎯💯✅️