Mexico plans another 50 air routes after US decision

The Mexican Government plans to add 50 air routes and more than 1 million passengers after recovering Category 1 security area USA after having lost it two years ago, as reported this Thursday by the Secretariat of Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation (SICT).

“The recovery of Category 1 in international aviation safety will bring numerous benefits to Mexico and for the United States, stated the head of the SICT, Jorge Nuño Lara, in a statement.

The Mexican Government referred to the announcement by the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA, in English), which this Thursday returned Mexico to the highest safety category.

The FAA’s decision, which comes after two years of work, will allow Mexico to add new services and routes to the United States, while US airlines will once again sell tickets and offer shared services with Mexican flights.

“There will be more flights between both nations, which will strengthen air connectivity; “It will encourage competition and improve the quality of services for travelers, which translates into more routes and frequencies with more competitive rates.”stated the SICT.

In May 2021, the FAA downgraded Mexico’s aviation safety rating to Category 2 for not meeting the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a classification that it shared with countries such as Pakistan, Thailand, Ghana, Malaysia and Bangladesh.

The decision prevented opening new services and routes to the United States, while it prohibited American companies from sharing seats with flights operated by Mexico, which affected the competitiveness of airports, particularly in Mexico City.

The recovery of the category occurs after the visit of the Secretary of Transportation of the United States, Pete Buttigieg, last June, when he went to the Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA), emblematic work of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador for the Mexican capital, inaugurated on last year.