Mexico City, (EFE) .- The International Air Transport Association (IATA, in English) urged the governments of Mexico and the United States to initiate a “direct dialogue” to resolve possible restrictions imposed by Washington to Mexican Airlines.
“The aviation market between the US and Mexico is one of the largest in the world between neighboring countries and a key engine for both economies. We hope that both parties will establish a direct dialogue between governments to seek balanced and constructive solutions for all those involved,” said Peter Cerdá, Regional Vice President of IATA for the Americas.
The petition arrives two days after the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) issued a statement accusing Mexico of breaking the bilateral agreement since 2022, forcing the load airlines to relocate their operations of the International Airport of Mexico City (AICM) to the Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA), located almost 50 kilometers from the capital.
The DOT described that this measure generates additional costs for US companies and proposed to revoke the antitrust immunity (ATI) of the Aeromexico-Delta alliance, one of the most important between the two countries.
Given this, President Claudia Sheinbaum replied that “there is no reason” for the United States government to impose sanctions, and assured that the measure taken by the previous administration was due to technical studies and communicated in advance to the loading companies.
“It has been more than a year, year and a half, and companies have adapted to this new circumstance that is beneficial for all,” said Sheinbaum.
Lee: Airborne Chamber asks for dialogue between Mexico and the US for airline restrictions
The National Airborne Chamber (Canaero), which brings together more than 40 actors in the air sector, also called a “technical and constructive dialogue” between both governments.
He warned that restrictions can impact connectivity, commerce and aerial competitiveness, and requested institutional mechanisms to address US concerns without putting bilateral cooperation at risk.
IATA recalled that aviation represents 4.8% of Mexico’s GDP, with a contribution of 88.3 billion dollars and the generation of 1.8 million jobs.
In addition, he highlighted his joint work with Mexican authorities to implement world guidelines on airport time stripes (WASG), with the aim of improving operational efficiency in saturated terminals such as AICM.
“This work remains a priority, given that several airports in the country, especially the Mexico City International Airport (MEX), continue to face capacity limitations,” Iata concluded, an agency that represents 350 airlines responsible for 80% of world air traffic.
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