The U.S. Department of Transportation has cancelled 13 current or planned routes operated by Mexican airlines to the United States and suspended all combination service between the two countries via Felipe Ángeles International Airport near Mexico City.
In an order issued Tuesday, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the action was taken in response to Mexico’s “continued abuse” of the 2015 U.S.–Mexico Air Transport Agreement.
The move also freezes the growth of Mexican carriers’ passenger and cargo operations at Benito Juárez International Airport, Mexico City’s primary hub.
“Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg were too weak to stand up to Mexico when they walked all over our bilateral aviation agreement,” Duffy said in a statement. “These deals are binding, and like our trade agreements, President Trump is going to put America First and enforce them.”
Affected Routes
According to the DOT, the affected flights include Aeromexico’s routes between Mexico City and San Juan, Puerto Rico, and between Felipe Ángeles and both Houston and McAllen, Texas.
Volaris’s Mexico City–Newark, New Jersey, route and Viva Aerobus’ proposed flights from Felipe Ángeles to Austin, Texas; New York-JFK; Chicago O’Hare; Dallas/Fort Worth; Denver, Houston; Los Angeles; Miami; and Orlando, Florida, were also disapproved.
The department said the measures come after three years of alleged violations by Mexico, including the cancellation of U.S. carrier slots at Benito Juárez International Airport and the forced relocation of American cargo operations. U.S. officials say Mexico has failed to follow through on promised construction projects intended to reduce congestion at the capital’s main airport.
Duffy also proposed banning Mexican passenger airlines from carrying belly cargo between Mexico City and the U.S. That restriction would take effect 108 business days after the order is finalized.
The DOT warned that the cancellations could affect travel plans for American citizens and advised passengers to contact their airlines for re-accommodation information. It added that additional enforcement actions could follow if Mexico does not restore fair access for U.S. carriers.
