Now U.s. Department Of Transportation Takes Action Against Mexico For Aviation Agreement Violations

Monday, July 21, 2025

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), nether Secretary Sean P. Duffy, brought action to respond to charges that Mexico is not surviving up to nan 2015 U.S.-Mexico Air Transport Agreement. The move is nan astir caller escalation successful a simmering contention complete nan regularisation of flying authorities and cargo services astatine Mexico City.

Origin of nan Aviation Dispute

This negotiated clash began successful 2022, erstwhile Mexican aviation authorities withdrew important airdrome slots antecedently allocated to U.S. airlines astatine Mexico City’s Benito Juárez International Airport. Simultaneously, Mexico mandated that American cargo operators relocate their operations from Benito Juárez to nan Felipe Ángeles International Airport, a newer installation located further from Mexico City’s commercialized hub.

Mexican officials defended these actions, citing nan request to alleviate congestion and facilitate airdrome renovations. However, 3 years later, nan U.S. argues that nary tangible building advancement has materialized, contradicting Mexico’s justification for nan first displacement.

U.S. Businesses Bear nan Financial Impact

The DOT has publically expressed frustration, accusing Mexico of causing important financial disruptions for American businesses. According to charismatic statements, nan relocation of cargo operations and withdrawal of airdrome slots person imposed millions of dollars successful other costs, negatively impacting American logistics companies and commercialized interests.

Transportation Secretary Duffy powerfully criticized these moves arsenic clear breaches of world aviation agreements, emphasizing nan request for contiguous corrective action to safeguard adjacent marketplace competition.

Specific Measures Implemented by nan DOT

To reside these concerns, nan DOT has laid retired a broad group of restrictions targeting Mexican airlines:

1. Flight Schedule Submission Requirement: All Mexican carriers operating flights into aliases retired of nan United States must now taxable their afloat schedules for reappraisal by nan DOT. This regulatory oversight intends to show compliance pinch agreed-upon position and guarantee equitable competition.
2. Mandatory Charter Flight Approval: Large rider and cargo charter flights by Mexican airlines will now require anterior support from nan DOT earlier entering U.S. airspace. This measurement grants nan U.S. heightened power complete aviation operations and enhances regulatory enforcement.
3. Review of Antitrust Immunity for Delta-Aeromexico: In a peculiarly important move, nan DOT is considering revoking antitrust immunity antecedently granted to nan associated task betwixt Delta Air Lines and Aeromexico. This immunity presently allows coordinated pricing and operational collaboration, raising concerns that it mightiness promote anti-competitive behaviour successful nan existent strained environment.

Broader Implications for International Aviation Relations

Secretary Duffy stated nan administration’s committedness to enforcing strict adherence to world aviation agreements, emphasizing that nan DOT’s caller actions against Mexico correspond a broader connection aimed astatine maintaining fairness and title successful world aviation markets. Additionally, nan DOT has indicated it will intimately show akin regulatory concerns successful Europe and different world regions, peculiarly regarding sound simplification and operational restrictions astatine airports.

Industry Concerns and Potential Fallout

While intended to protect U.S. carriers, these measures person raised alarms wrong nan aviation industry. Airline executives from some Delta and Aeromexico pass that revoking antitrust immunity could lead to important operational disruptions connected aggregate captious U.S.–Mexico routes, perchance costing consumers hundreds of millions of dollars and threatening aviation-related jobs.

Next Steps successful Regulatory Oversight

The DOT has launched a general regulatory process that includes nationalist consultations and feedback postulation up of perchance revoking nan antitrust immunity that allowed nan Delta-Aeromexico alliance. In nan meantime, Mexican carriers look having to adhere to nan caller scheduling and chartered formation stipulations aliases perchance look different punitive measures from U.S. authorities.

Major Aviation Dispute The continuing aviation conflict marks its 2nd (apps.law.washington.edu/blogs/aviation/ “stick-in-the-eye” for nan Trump administration’s Departments of Transportation, which is rooted successful a long-standing argumentation to person world aviation partners afloat comply pinch their agreements and support a vigorous stance for nan protection of U.S. commercialized interests successful aviation.