MEXICO · AVIATION
Key Facts
- —The country Mexico and the United States are linked by daily passenger and cargo flights, run by airlines on both sides of the border.
- —Why it matters The decision lets Mexican carriers seek new US routes and more flights from Mexico City’s two airports, and it follows Mexican concessions on slots and cargo.
- —Why now It comes 12 days short of one year after the order was issued on 28 October 2025, and five months after a May deal between the two governments.
- —What happened On Friday 16 October, the US Department of Transportation revoked its October 2025 order with immediate effect.
- —The numbers The order had blocked 13 routes, two existing and eleven proposed, and any future ones. Bilateral traffic ran above 35 million passengers a year when it landed.
- —What it means for you Travellers could eventually see more nonstop flights to Mexico City, but no airline has announced a route, date or fare. US cargo carriers can bid for airport slots there.
- —Still open Whether the 13 cancelled routes return automatically, and how fast airlines file new plans, is not stated.
- —Power Index Mexico ranks 2nd of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 71.4 points (October 2026 edition).
The US Department of Transportation lifted its flight restrictions on Mexican airlines on Friday 16 October, with immediate effect. For US readers it matters because the move could add nonstop flights between Mexico City and US cities, and it follows Mexican concessions on airport slots and cargo.
Mexico’s foreign and transport ministries announced the decision in a joint statement on gob.mx, which EFE and El Heraldo de México also carried. The US order dated from 28 October 2025 and had stopped Mexican carriers from adding routes or flights from Mexico City’s two airports.
Those are AICM, the Benito Juárez International Airport, and AIFA, the Felipe Ángeles International Airport. Both serve the capital’s metropolitan area.
What the Order Had Blocked
The Transportation Department’s order of Tuesday 28 October 2025 cancelled approval for 13 current or planned routes of Mexican airlines, Expansión reported at the time. Mexican officials call it Order 213-2 and say it covered two existing and eleven proposed operations, plus future ones, EFE said.
The carriers hit were Aeroméxico, Volaris and Viva Aerobus, the three main Mexican airlines flying to the United States, Expansión said. Existing flights kept operating, except two routes from AIFA, EFE said.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Mexico had illegally cancelled and frozen flights of US carriers for three years without consequences, as Expansión put it. Washington pointed to the reassignment of landing slots at AICM and the move of cargo flights to AIFA, EFE said.
Mexican authorities replied that these were technical measures to improve safety and efficiency at the capital’s crowded airport system, EFE said. Expansión put traffic on the bilateral market above 35 million passengers a year when the order landed.
How the Dispute Was Settled
On Tuesday 5 May 2026, Mexico’s foreign ministry announced an agreement with the Transportation Department, El Universal reported that day. It set conditions for equal and transparent access to AICM and AIFA infrastructure for cargo, and a continuing dialogue on AIFA’s place in the bilateral air agreement.
The Transportation Department now says Mexico has fixed most of Washington’s demands, including the return of AICM landing slots to US companies, El Financiero reported from a document it holds. The same document says the department has watched Mexico’s transport ministry closely since May, and that the ministry says US airlines may bid for cargo slots at AICM.
Mexico’s ministries said the decision reflects both governments’ will to open a new stage in aviation ties, EFE reported. They credited the memorandum signed in May 2026 and said Mexico has advanced on its commitments.
What the Mexican Airlines Say
Aeroméxico said the revocation lets it add frequencies and launch new scheduled services from AICM and AIFA to the United States, subject to regulatory requirements. It named no routes or dates, EnElAire reported on Saturday 17 October.
Volaris also welcomed the decision and said it can now propose new routes and frequencies from both airports. EnElAire said the airline announced no new destinations, and any launch depends on its commercial and operational decisions.
Mexican airlines also face a separate US safety review, in which the FAA listed 21 items Mexico must fix to keep its top rating, as our report US Audit Flags 21 Gaps in Mexico Air Safety explains. The lifted order is a commercial measure, and the FAA’s final verdict is due in February 2027.
A different transport dispute, over the Delta-Aeroméxico alliance, went to a US court in August, as our report US Court Restores the Delta-Aeroméxico Alliance shows. The sources we read for this decision do not mention that case.
What It Means for You
For US travellers, more nonstop flights on Mexican airlines could follow, but no carrier has announced a route, a date or a fare. New services still need the usual procedures and approvals, EnElAire noted.
For US airlines and cargo firms, the practical point is access to Mexico City’s main airport, where the Transportation Department says slots were returned. Investors in Mexican carriers should watch the schedule filings that follow, because the sources show no commitments yet.
The decision also sits inside a wider US and Mexican trade agenda, covered in Mexico Geopolitics 2026, US Tariffs, USMCA and China. Our guide Who Runs Mexico’s Economy, the Key Players in 2026 profiles the main state and private players in that economy.
What Is Not Known
The sources do not say whether the 13 routes cancelled in October 2025 return automatically or must be filed again. The Transportation Department’s own text was not available to our desk, so any conditions attached to the revocation are unknown.
It is also unclear whether the tentative ban on cargo in the bellies of Mexican passenger flights at AICM, announced in 2025, is lifted too. The Mexican statement and the airline notes speak only of new routes and frequencies.
Neither Aeroméxico nor Volaris has said how many flights it will add or when. Viva Aerobus’s response was not found in the sources we read.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did the US Department of Transportation change?
On Friday 16 October it revoked its October 2025 order with immediate effect, Mexico’s foreign and transport ministries said. Mexican airlines can again seek new routes and more flights to the United States from AICM and AIFA.
Which Mexican airlines are affected?
Aeroméxico, Volaris and Viva Aerobus were the main carriers hit by the 2025 order. Aeroméxico and Volaris have welcomed the revocation.
What are AICM and AIFA?
AICM is the Benito Juárez International Airport, Mexico City’s main airport. AIFA is the Felipe Ángeles International Airport, a second airport serving the capital’s metropolitan area.
Do new US flights start now?
No airline has announced a new route or date. Each carrier must file its plans and meet the usual regulatory requirements first.
Is this linked to the FAA safety audit?
No, they are separate measures. The audit concerns safety oversight and Mexico’s top rating, with a final FAA verdict due in February 2027.
Sources: Mexico’s foreign ministry and transport ministry joint statement, 16 October 2026, El Financiero, 16 October 2026, EFE via Infobae, 16 October 2026, El Heraldo de México, 16 October 2026, EnElAire, 16 October 2026, EnElAire on Aeroméxico, 17 October 2026, EnElAire on Volaris, 17 October 2026, El Universal, 5 May 2026, Expansión, 28 October 2025.
Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief · Editorial standards · Report an error