Trump administration imposes restrictions on Mexican flights; threatens Delta-Aeromexico partnership; blames Biden for aviation deal breach
US President Donald Trump’s administration on Saturday imposed new restrictions on flights from Mexico. It also warned of ending the long-standing partnership between Delta Air Lines and Aeromexico, in retaliation to limits imposed by the Mexican government on passenger and cargo flights into Mexico City in recent years.“Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg deliberately allowed Mexico to break our bilateral aviation agreement,” Transport Secretary Sean Duffy said, AP reported.“That ends today. Let these actions serve as a warning to any country who thinks it can take advantage of the US, our carriers, and our market. America First means fighting for the fundamental principle of fairness,” he added.Duffy indicated that Mexico’s policy of redirecting airlines from Benito Juarez International Airport to Felipe Angeles International Airport, situated over 30 miles (48.28 kilometres) away, breached international agreements and unfairly benefited their domestic carriers.He said the move gives Mexican carriers an unfair edge over US airlines.In response, the US will now require all Mexican passenger, cargo, and charter airlines to submit their flight schedules for government approval until the issue is resolved.Mexico remains the preferred international destination for American travellers, with passenger numbers exceeding 40 million in the previous year.Mexican airlines across passenger, cargo and charter services must now obtain Transportation Department approval and submit their flight schedules until the Secretary deems Mexico’s treatment of US airlines satisfactory.The impact of these restrictions on ongoing trade disputes and tariff discussions with Mexico remains uncertain.Delta and Aeromexico have contested the Transportation Department’s attempts to terminate their partnership, which began in 2016.In an earlier filing, the two carriers also argued that ending the agreement could lead to over 140,000 Americans and nearly 90,000 Mexicans canceling travel plans, significantly impacting tourism-related spending and harming both economies.“The US Department of Transportation’s tentative proposal to terminate its approval of the strategic and pro-competitive partnership between Delta and Aeromexico would cause significant harm to consumers traveling between the US and Mexico, as well as US jobs, communities, and transborder competition,” Delta said in a statement.The airlines argue it’s unfair to penalise them for decisions made by the Mexican government. They also warned that ending the alliance could put nearly two dozen flight routes at risk and impact $800 million in economic benefits tied to tourism and employment in both countries.Aeromexico’s press office said it is reviewing the order and plans to issue a joint response with Delta in the coming days. However, the termination of the partnership approval won’t take effect until October, giving the airlines time to continue challenging the decision.
