U.S. imposes new restrictions on flights from Mexico in the midst of trade war

The Department of Transportation on Saturday imposed new restrictions on flight operationsfrom Mexico to the United States, in response to previous restrictions imposed by Mexico on U.S. flights.

In a communication dated July 19, the Department of Transportation said that since 2022 Mexico has not complied with the Air Transport Agreement enacted between the two countries in 2015.

Under the new restrictions Mexico will have to submit schedulesto the DOT for all U.S. operations and obtain approval from the department to operate large passenger or cargo charter flights between Mexico and the United States.

The series of measures "to combat Mexico’s blatant disregard of the 2015 U.S.-Mexico Air Transport Agreement and its ongoing anti-competitive behavior," were announced by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who blamed the administration of former Democratic President Joe Biden (2021-2025) for "deliberately" allowing Mexico to break the bilateral aviation pact. "That ends today," Duffy warned.

Aeromexico-Delta alliance and "warning" to those who "want to take advantage of the US".

These measures have a strong impact on the alliance between Aeroméxico and Delta. The Secretary of Transportation proposed to revoke the antitrust immunity (ATI) under which the alliance between Delta and Aeromexico operates, one of the most relevant in the field of aviation between the two countries.

These "corrective actions" are taken to limit "serious concerns about the long-term competitiveness of the U.S.-Mexico market," the DOT text explains.

"Let these actions serve as a warning to any country who thinks it can take advantage of the United States," Duffy added.

The U.S. charges that Mexico stopped complying with the bilateral air pact since 2022, when it forced cargo airlines to relocate their operations at the main Benito Juarez (MEX) airport to the new Felipe Angeles airfield, nearly 50 kilometers away, to relieve congestion at the main port.

"By restricting slots and mandating that all-cargo operations move out of MEX, Mexico has broken its promise, disrupted the market, and left American businesses holding the bag for millions in increased costs," the DOT adds.

The statement insists that Trump and Duffy "are taking note of multiple other countries that are disregarding the terms of our air transport agreements. For example, we are monitoring European States to ensure that they apply the Balanced Approach process for noise abatement at their airports and do not implement unjustified operational restrictions."