México has lengthy executed issues its personal method relating to aviation, generally with out rhyme or motive. That’s what has gotten the nation into hassle with the US lately because of claimed violations of aviation agreements. Now with the US ratcheting up strain, the nation seems to be backing down.
Most of this dispute facilities across the highly-constrained Mexico Metropolis airport (MEX). The nation was effectively alongside in constructing an enormous new airport to alleviate congestion, however when Andrés Manuel López Obrador took over as president in 2018, he ended that plan fully. As an alternative, the Santa Lucia navy base was became AIFA, a reliever airport that’s more and more dominated by Viva. MEX remained very tightly constrained.
AIFA by itself wasn’t an awesome plan, nevertheless it didn’t get beneath the US’s pores and skin. It’s what occurred afterwards to additional limit MEX that ruffled feathers.
México arbitrarily determined that each one MEX cargo operations must transfer to AIFA. Airways could have had their slots, however that didn’t matter. All of them needed to transfer. As you may think about, some very outstanding US cargo carriers had been none-too-pleased.
Then in the summertime of 2022, the adminstration determined that MEX’s capability wanted to be slashed. Ch-aviation notes that hourly slots went from 61 to 44 beginning within the winter 2022/2023 schedule and into the following summer season. It was vaguely associated to some deliberate development, however that by no means occurred, and the bounds had been by no means introduced again up.
These two main points got here collectively to make the events somewhat sad. In July, the US determined it was executed messing round. It put out a few guidelines that simply added paperwork and ache, however the largest problem is that the nation threatened to finish the three way partnership between the Delta and Aeromexico. Although not said, presumably this additionally implies that the long-proposed Allegiant/Viva three way partnership would by no means be accepted both.
You’ll assume México wouldn’t care all that a lot what the US did, however clearly Aeromexico has some associates in highly effective locations which have satisfied the nation to make some modifications.
Now, México is reportedly going to revive slots. Particulars aren’t fully clear at this level, however after all the massive beneficiaries can be the Mexican carriers which have misplaced way over US carriers. However US carriers will profit… a minimum of three of them will.
Alaska, JetBlue, and Southwest all tried and didn’t make Mexico Metropolis work. They pulled out earlier than the pandemic, so it’s simply the massive three US carriers that stay.
I attempted to determine precisely what number of slots went away and what may be restored, nevertheless it’s not truly that easy. Let’s check out every of the three, in alphabetical order, beginning with American which has given me probably the most readability.
American Common Day by day Departures to Mexico Metropolis
Information through Cirium
American has had a gradual state of 14 each day in winter and 13 each day in summer season. A spokesperson defined that there’s a bizarre partial slot that operated within the first quarter of the 12 months, however that has been handed again and LAX has been suspended throughout that point interval.
American needed to in the reduction of two each day flights when it misplaced slots, although this previous winter (and subsequent winter as effectively) noticed it add one Phoenix flight that operated late evening/early morning and was unrelated to the steady-state slot depend. Subsequent winter, American is getting a slot again which it should use to start out Chicago/O’Hare.
I’m instructed that that is only for winter at this level. The summer season slot course of for subsequent 12 months has not accomplished, however there may be hope that American shall be again up at 13 once more then with the variety of slots it had earlier than being minimize down. We will see when slots get awarded.
Delta Common Day by day Departures to Mexico Metropolis
Information through Cirium
This one, I don’t assume actually issues. Since Delta and Aeromexico are three way partnership companions, it appears like Delta has been capable of finding a strategy to restore what it had earlier than.
Delta was at 10 earlier than the cuts, however then once more, the cuts didn’t happen till after summer season 2022 and Delta was already down at eight then. Then it was again at 10 once more by summer season 2024. And now this coming winter it has suspended LAX itself, so it’s decrease once more.
To me, this one is price ignoring since I simply don’t know the way the Aeromexico relationship matches into all of this.
United Common Day by day Departures to Mexico Metropolis
Information through Cirium
Then there’s United, and I’m utterly at a loss. Possibly it misplaced one slot? But it surely has been again up, reaching new heights in winter. Maybe there are fewer slots being utilized in winter, so United can quickly get them. Or it’s doable that United is doing that late evening/early morning flying like American to skirt round slots. Regardless, it looks as if United has been the least impacted based mostly purely on frequency.
United did only in the near past file plans to fly from Denver subsequent winter as a brand new route, apparently changing one of many O’Hare frequencies. However possibly it received’t have to chop O’Hare if it will get a slot or two again.
I’ll be trustworthy, I don’t actually get this struggle. Certain, México is completely taking part in bizarre video games. There are shenanigans right here, however this isn’t concentrating on the US instantly. It’s a broader transfer… a dumb one, sure, however not one concentrating on the US. Nonetheless, the US is sad, and it seemingly does depend as a violation of the open skies settlement, so it should proceed to push. And México seems to be bending.
