Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –
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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News
WASHINGTON, July 20 (Xinhua) — The U.S. government on Saturday announced new restrictions on flights from Mexico, accusing Mexico of violating a bilateral aviation agreement on market access and fair competition.
Mexico has been in non-compliance with the U.S.-Mexico Air Services Agreement, signed in 2015, since 2022 “after unilaterally revoking slots and then forcing U.S. cargo airlines to relocate their operations,” the U.S. Department of Transportation said in a statement.
Then-Mexico President Andrés Manuel López Obrador argued that the capital's Benito Juárez Airport (MEX) was overloaded and needed to be rebuilt ahead of the 2026 World Cup, which will be partly hosted in Mexico. He also claimed that a new airport 30 miles (48 km) from the capital would be able to handle the extra traffic.
“By restricting slots and requiring cargo operations to be moved away from MEX, Mexico has violated its commitments, destabilized the market, and imposed millions of dollars in additional costs on U.S. companies,” the statement said.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced three measures under the “America First” policy, which include requiring Mexican airlines to submit all U.S. flight schedules to the U.S. Department of Transportation, requiring pre-approval from the department before chartering large passenger or cargo aircraft to and from the U.S., and potentially waiving antitrust immunity for the joint venture between Delta Air Lines and Aeromexico, Mexico’s flag carrier, to address competition in the marketplace.
Delta and Aeromexico, which began their partnership in 2016, have been fighting the ministry’s threats since early last year. The airlines argue that it is unfair to punish them for the Mexican government’s actions. They estimate that ending the partnership would impact nearly two dozen routes and result in a loss of about $800 million.
The ministry said it reserves the right to reject requests for flights from Mexico if the country fails to take action.
Mexico has been the most popular international destination for American tourists for many years, with about 45 million foreign tourists visiting the country in 2024, according to Mexico's National Institute of Statistics and Geography. –0–
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