US lifts operating restrictions on Mexican carriers after bilateral air transport dispute
The US Department of Transportation has removed operating limits imposed on Mexican airlines, allowing new routes to the United States from both Mexico City airports. Some oversight requirements remain in place.
The US Department of Transportation has lifted operating restrictions on Mexican airlines, clearing them to start new services to the United States from Mexico City's two international airports. Mexico's government said national carriers may now open new commercial routes to the US from both Felipe Ángeles International Airport and Benito Juárez International Airport.
A joint statement from Mexico's foreign affairs and communications and transport ministries said the DOT decision followed steps Mexican authorities took to address observations about compliance with the 2015 bilateral air transport agreement.
Oversight is not gone entirely. Mexican carriers must still file schedules and itineraries in advance for US services, and must request and obtain government authorisation to operate large aircraft on those routes. A US official said two further orders tied to the bilateral dispute remain in force and that Washington will monitor compliance closely. The source does not say what those two orders cover.
The change ends months of commercial and bilateral tension and normalises growth for Mexican airlines on cross-border routes.
Sources
- aviacionaldia.comEE.UU. levanta las restricciones a las aerolíneas mexicanas tras disputa sobre el acuerdo bilateral de transporte aéreo
- simpleflying.comUS Drops Mexican Airline Restrictions A Year After Blocking 13 Mexico City Routes