The Aviation Showdown You Won’t Believe: Us Dot Strikes Hard At Mexican Airlines, Cancels Thirteen Routes And Bans Felipe Ángeles Airport!

Published on October 30, 2025

By: Paramita Sarkar

In a important escalation of ongoing tensions successful nan aviation industry, nan U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has issued a beardown bid against respective awesome Mexican airlines, including Aeromexico, Volaris, and Viva Aerobus. The action, which was announced connected October 28, 2025, involves nan revocation of thirteen existent and planned routes and a prohibition connected each rider and cargo flights betwixt nan United States and Felipe Ángeles International Airport (NLU/AIFA) successful Mexico City.

What Happened?

The U.S. DOT has taken a patient stance by revoking nan support of 13 routes operated by Mexican carriers. This includes some existing services and routes that were planned for nan future. The airlines affected by this determination see Aeromexico, Volaris, and Viva Aerobus, each of which are awesome players successful nan Mexican aviation sector. In summation to nan way cancellations, nan bid besides specifically bans each mixed rider and cargo flights betwixt nan United States and Mexico’s Felipe Ángeles International Airport.

This action is nan latest move successful an ongoing conflict betwixt nan U.S. and Mexico, pinch nan DOT citing violations of nan 2015 U.S.-Mexico Air Transport Agreement, which governs aerial recreation betwixt nan 2 nations. The violations cited successful nan DOT’s bid impact actions taken by Mexico that person negatively impacted U.S. carriers and created an unfair competitory advantage for Mexican airlines.

Where Did This Take Place?

The U.S. DOT’s determination affects flights betwixt nan United States and respective airports successful Mexico, peculiarly focusing connected Mexico City. The prohibition connected Felipe Ángeles International Airport (NLU/AIFA), which is located astir 45 kilometers from nan much established Benito Juárez International Airport (MEX), has drawn important attention. The DOT’s action besides includes nan routes operated by Mexican airlines to and from these airports.

Felipe Ángeles International Airport, which began operations successful 2022, has faced challenges since its opening, chiefly owed to its distant location compared to nan much centrally located Benito Juárez International Airport. This latest action by nan U.S. DOT puts further unit connected nan airport’s domiciled successful nan world aviation sector.

Why Did nan U.S. DOT Take This Action?

The DOT’s bid is simply a nonstop consequence to what it describes arsenic “flagrant violations” of nan 2015 U.S.-Mexico Air Transport Agreement. Specifically, nan DOT pointed to 2 cardinal issues:

1. Slot Restrictions astatine MEX: Mexico’s determination to trim nan number of formation slots astatine Benito Juárez International Airport (MEX) was deemed “arbitrary” and unfair. This determination importantly impacted U.S. carriers, which were forced to trim their services to Mexico City, thereby disrupting nan competitory equilibrium successful nan region.
2. Unfair Advantages astatine MEX vs. NLU: The U.S. DOT besides took rumor pinch Mexico’s argumentation that forced U.S. all-cargo carriers to move their operations from MEX to nan distant Felipe Ángeles International Airport. At nan aforesaid time, Mexican carriers were allowed to proceed operating rider flights from MEX and transporting cargo successful nan belly holds of those aircraft. The DOT argues that this created an unfair competitory imbalance, pinch Mexican airlines gaining a important advantage complete their U.S. counterparts.

These actions, taken together, are considered by nan DOT to beryllium violations of nan 2015 bilateral statement betwixt nan U.S. and Mexico, which ensures adjacent title and balanced aerial carrier opportunities betwixt nan 2 countries.

When Did nan U.S. DOT Make Its Decision?

The bid from nan U.S. Department of Transportation was issued connected October 28, 2025. The revocation of 13 routes and nan prohibition connected Felipe Ángeles International Airport are effective immediately. This marks a important measurement successful nan ongoing aviation dispute, which has seen erstwhile actions, including nan termination of nan associated task betwixt Delta and Aeromexico successful September 2025.

How Has This Affected nan Airlines?

For Mexican carriers for illustration Aeromexico, Volaris, and Viva Aerobus, nan contiguous effects of nan U.S. DOT’s bid are substantial. The revocation of 13 cardinal routes intends these airlines will nary longer beryllium capable to run circumstantial services to nan United States, perchance disrupting their gross streams and recreation schedules. In particular, nan cancellation of flights to and from Felipe Ángeles International Airport is simply a rustle to nan airport’s world connectivity.

The move by nan U.S. DOT is expected to person important ripple effects successful nan broader aviation sector, affecting everything from world recreation to cargo operations betwixt nan 2 countries. Mexican airlines will now request to reassess their strategies and perchance restructure their formation schedules to compensate for nan nonaccomplishment of U.S. routes.

What Happens Next?

The U.S. DOT has made it clear that it will proceed to show nan business and return further action if necessary. Mexico now faces accrued unit to comply pinch nan 2015 U.S.-Mexico Air Transport Agreement, peculiarly regarding nan slot restrictions astatine Benito Juárez Airport and nan unequal curen of U.S. cargo carriers.

As nan business develops, it is apt that further negotiations will return spot betwixt U.S. and Mexican aviation authorities to resoluteness nan issues astatine hand. However, for nan clip being, nan effect connected Mexican airlines is clear: they will look a important disruption to their U.S. operations.

Conclusion

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s latest determination to revoke 13 routes and prohibition Felipe Ángeles International Airport for Mexican airlines marks a awesome escalation successful nan ongoing conflict complete nan 2015 U.S.-Mexico Air Transport Agreement. With contiguous effects connected carriers specified arsenic Aeromexico, Volaris, and Viva Aerobus, this action highlights nan ongoing challenges successful world aviation relations betwixt nan 2 countries. As Mexico faces unit to comply pinch nan position of nan agreement, nan aviation manufacture successful some nations will beryllium watching intimately for further developments.