Us Threatens Action Over Mexico’s Airport Slot Dispute

The friends skies whitethorn beryllium clouding betwixt nan United States and Mexico. The U.S. Transportation Department released a statement on Saturday, July 19, regarding nan 2015 U.S.-Mexico Air Transport Agreement.

If Mexico fails to act, nan U.S. DOT could commencement disapproving formation requests.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy posted connected X, “Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg deliberately allowed Mexico to break our bilateral aviation agreement. That ends today. Let these actions service arsenic a informing to immoderate state who thinks it tin return advantage of nan U.S., our carriers, and our market.”

In 2022, Mexico rescinded U.S. slots astatine Mexico City’s Benito Juarez International Airport (MEX) to let for construction. According to nan U.S. DOT, each American cargo carriers were forced to relocate successful Mexico City. These changes reportedly costs American businesses millions of dollars.

The connection went connected to opportunity nan U.S. DOT has reached retired aggregate times, but Mexico has not provided immoderate accusation regarding erstwhile these slots would beryllium returned, aliases if immoderate awesome building projects astatine MEX will ever materialize.

The three-point action scheme announced by Duffy connected Saturday includes:

• Part 213 Order requiring Mexican airlines to record schedules pinch nan Department for each their U.S. operations.
• Part 212 Order requiring anterior DOT support earlier operating immoderate ample rider aliases cargo craft charter flights to aliases from nan United States. 
• Supplemental Show Cause Order proposing nan withdrawal of nan Delta/Aeromexico associated venture’s antitrust immunity, thereby taking corrective action to reside competitory issues successful nan market.

As acold arsenic nan antitrust, nan connection said Delta/Aeromexico would besides look large changes. Both airlines would beryllium required to discontinue cooperation, specified arsenic communal pricing, capacity guidance and gross sharing that require antitrust immunity.  Delta is simply a number investor successful Aeromexico, holding a 20% stake. The U.S. DOT said Delta will clasp that liking and support its existing flying successful nan U.S-Mexico market.