Mexico Grapples With Tough New U.s. Flight Restrictions As Washington Challenges Fair Competition And Airport Slot Practices

Sunday, July 20, 2025

Mexico is facing a activity of strict caller aviation rules imposed by nan United States that besides onslaught astatine a halfway declare by nan Trump management successful its long-simmering conflict complete what it says is unfair title and discriminatory airdrome slot practices. The U.S. Transport Department has cracked down connected Mexican carriers, forcing nan airlines to disclose schedules, grounding charter flights, and threatening to cancel nan Delta-AeroMexico tie-up’s antitrust immunity. These actions travel connected nan heels of Mexico’s contentious reassignment of captious airdrome slots for U.S. and Mexican carriers astatine Mexico City’s Benito Juárez International Airport, arsenic good arsenic nan mandatory relocation of cargo operations to a caller airport, Felipe Ángeles International Airport. American officials opportunity these are violations of bilateral aerial carrier accords and of nan equilibrium of nan market, starring to an escalation of nan standoff complete aviation rights, transparency and adjacent access.

U.S. Imposes Tougher Aviation Restrictions connected Mexican Airlines Amid Bilateral Disputes

In a important move that signals rising tensions successful U.S.-Mexico aviation relations, nan U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has introduced a caller group of regulatory restrictions targeting Mexican airlines operating wrong nan United States. The measures, announced successful July 2025, travel amid long-standing concerns complete Mexico’s aviation policies and their effect connected adjacent competition, operational transparency, and bilateral agreements.

At nan halfway of these caller measures is nan DOT’s effort to enforce stricter oversight of Mexican carriers’ operations connected U.S. soil. All Mexican airlines must now taxable elaborate formation schedules for U.S. operations straight to nan DOT, a measurement aimed astatine expanding transparency and ensuring regulatory compliance. In addition, immoderate charter formation involving ample rider aliases cargo craft will require beforehand support from nan DOT earlier being allowed to alert to aliases from nan U.S. This request importantly limits operational elasticity for Mexican carriers and adds an other furniture of scrutiny to their services.

One of nan astir impactful proposals involves nan imaginable withdrawal of antitrust immunity granted to nan associated task betwixt Delta Air Lines and AeroMexico. The partnership, which allows nan 2 carriers to coordinate pricing, schedules, and revenue-sharing, has travel nether reappraisal owed to concerns astir marketplace imbalances. According to U.S. authorities, interventions by nan Mexican government—especially actions related to slot allocations astatine Benito Juárez International Airport successful Mexico City—have created an uneven playing section that undermines nan original intent of nan associated task agreement.

In 2022, Mexican aviation authorities revoked historical takeoff and landing slots astatine Mexico City’s Benito Juárez International Airport from six airlines, including 3 from nan U.S.—American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines—and 3 home Mexican carriers—AeroMexico, Viva Aerobus, and Volaris. These removals were reportedly made nether nan justification of capacity limitations, though U.S. officials declare nan process lacked transparency and violated bilateral aviation protocols. Since then, repeated inquiries by U.S. authorities astir nan timeline for restoring these slots aliases completing airdrome building person gone unanswered.

Further straining relations, nan Mexican authorities issued a sweeping decree successful February 2023 mandating that each dedicated cargo operations relocate from Mexico City International Airport to nan newer Felipe Ángeles International Airport. This abrupt modulation disrupted cardinal U.S. cargo routes and drew beardown objections from some nan aviation manufacture and negotiated circles. Critics reason nan move was implemented without capable announcement aliases coordination, affecting nan ratio and profitability of cargo carriers.

The DOT besides flagged different cardinal concern: Mexico’s continued nonaccomplishment to found a transparent and non-discriminatory slot allocation strategy astatine its airports. This oversight, nan agency claims, is simply a nonstop usurpation of Article 11 of nan 2015 U.S.-Mexico aerial carrier agreement, which requires some countries to adopt adjacent and internationally recognized aviation practices.

As of July 2025, negotiations betwixt nan U.S. and Mexico stay active, but nary solution has been reached. Diplomatic discussions are ongoing successful an effort to reestablish normal aviation protocols and reconstruct spot betwixt nan 2 nations. Both sides are reportedly seeking to find a way guardant that upholds their communal commitments nether nan 2015 statement and respects operational fairness for each airlines involved.

Should nan DOT finalize its projected revocation of antitrust immunity, nan business betwixt Delta and AeroMexico would suffer its expertise to coordinate fares, schedules, and revenue-sharing strategies. Although Delta would still clasp its equity liking successful AeroMexico, immoderate associated coordination would end, and each bearer would run independently connected cross-border routes. This could lead to higher costs, way inefficiencies, and a reconfiguration of transborder work options for travelers and shippers.

Mexico is nether mounting unit arsenic nan U.S. enforces reliable caller formation restrictions, citing unfair title and discriminatory airdrome slot practices. The crackdown targets Mexican airlines and threatens cross-border aviation partnerships.

The aviation scenery betwixt nan U.S. and Mexico now faces a play of uncertainty. The DOT has signaled that further actions could beryllium taken depending connected Mexico’s early aviation decisions and nan result of existent negotiated efforts. In nan meantime, some passengers and airlines must navigate an evolving regulatory situation shaped by broader geopolitical and economical considerations.