The US government has placed restrictions on Mexico's air cargo and passenger operations in response to what it said is "abuse" of the 2015 U.S.-Mexico Air Transport Agreement and ongoing anti-competitive behaviour.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), Mexico has not been in compliance with the agreement since carriers were required to shiift cargo operations from Benito Juarez International Airport, known as Mexico City International Airport (MEX) to Felipe Angeles International Airport (AFIA), as reported by Air Cargo News in February 2023.
Mexican airlines will now be required to file schedules with the Department for all their U.S. operations, said a US DOT release on 19 July.
Carriers will also require prior DOT approval before operating any large passenger or cargo aircraft charter flights to or from the US.
Cargo operations were moved from MEX to AFIA to reduce congestion, a decision that was criticised by IATA at the time due to the short notice for airlines, but the US DOT said the action served to disrupt the market.
It said: "In 2023, Mexico unilaterally forced all U.S. all-cargo carriers out of MEX under the same saturation pretenses with only 108 business days advance notice. Mexico has not taken any action to restore the operating rights of U.S. all-cargo carriers guaranteed in the U.S.-Mexico Air Transport Agreement."
The US DOT stated that Mexico said that moving cargo to AFIA would allow for construction to alleviate congestion at MEX, but this construction has " yet to materialize three years later".
Mexico has also not provided any information on the return of MEX slots that were removed from American, Delta, United, plus Mexican carriers Aeromexico, Viva Aerobus and Volaris in 2022 due to capacity constraints and operational limitaions.
The release said there is also a supplemental Show Cause Order proposing the withdrawal of the Delta/Aeromexico joint venture’s antitrust immunity (ATI).
The US DOT said as noted in the Show Cause Order: "Mexico’s actions harm airlines seeking to enter the market, existing competitor airlines, consumers of air travel and products relying on time-sensitive air cargo shipments traded between the two countries, and other stakeholders in the American economy."
The US DOT said it reserves the right to disapprove flight requests from Mexico should the country fail to take corrective action.
European airports are also under scrutiny. The US DOT said European countries are being monitored "to ensure that they apply the Balanced Approach process for noise abatement at their airports and do not implement unjustified operational restrictions".
