Could Mexican air transport be entering a turbulent period? ? You might think so, following the decision by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). On 23 May last, the latter downgraded Mexico's air safety rating from category 1 to category 2. This is bad news, because it has immediate consequences for the country's air connectivity. Indeed, the upgrading to category 2 freezes expansion of Mexican airlines to the United States. This also applies to any change of equipment on an existing line.
However, Mexican airlines are continuing to operate the programme...
Could Mexican air transport be entering a turbulent period? ? You might think so, following the decision by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). On 23 May last, the latter downgraded Mexico's air safety rating from category 1 to category 2. This is bad news, because it has immediate consequences for the country's air connectivity. Indeed, the upgrading to category 2 freezes expansion of Mexican airlines to the United States. This also applies to any change of equipment on an existing line.
However, Mexican airlines are continuing to operate flights that have already been authorised. But they risk suffering a deterioration in their public image. Even if the FAA's decision concerns only the technical facilities in Mexico and not the airlines' level of safety.
However, the measure requires suspend code-share agreements between US and Mexican carriers. This affects, for example, the most important of them all, the one between Aeromexico and Delta Air Lines as part of the SkyTeam alliance. For Europeans, this means fewer connecting flights to Mexico.
Audit in the middle of a pandemic
As long as the FAA is not convinced that the country's aviation authority - theAgencia Federal de Aviacion Civil or AFAC - fully complies with safety standards, no changes are to be expected. L'AFAC has attempted to explain the reasons behind the downgrading of its aviation safety rating. The FAA audit in Mexico took place between October 2020 and February 2021," he said. while AFAC was operating with only a quarter of its workforce and in the midst of the major crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic" says an official press release from the Mexican Presidency.
" A significant amount of documentary evidence has been delivered to the FAA over the past three weeks. The US auditors may not have fully and thoroughly evaluated all of the documents. For example, on 20 May, the US Congress updated and approved the Civil Aviation Act".says the official press release.
The FAA has offered to work with the AFAC to improve the shortcomings observed in Mexico's aviation safety. A new assessment could restore Mexico's Category 1 status. Mexico's deputy transport minister, Carlos Moran, told Reuters that he hoped this would happen within three months.
Favouring American companies?
The downgrading comes at a time when the economic recovery and the holiday season in the United States are encouraging American citizens to travel to Mexico. Mexico is one of the few countries in the world to accept American travellers on presentation of a single negative PCR test. Mexico applies no other restrictive measures. As a result, the number of passengers travelling between the USA and Mexico has soared.
The measure will therefore handicap Mexican airlines, which will be unable to meet the sharp rise in demand. And favour US airlines, which are free to add new frequencies. But that doesn't mean the FAA couldn't have given US carriers a helping hand...
