UNITED STATES AND MEXICO MAKE HEADWAY ON RESOLVING YEARSLONG AIR SERVICES DISPUTE
June 5, 2026
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On May 5, 2026, DOT announced that the United States and Mexican governments came to an agreement over Mexico’s alleged violations of the U.S.-Mexico Air Transport Agreement, which is set forth in a Memorandum of Consultations (“MoC”). In 2025, DOT took several retaliatory actions against Mexican air carriers, such as disapproving all prospective schedules for any new proposed services or increase in frequency of existing services between NLU or MEX and any U.S. point as well as proposing a prohibition on combination services (i.e., belly cargo) operated by several Mexican air carriers between MEX and any U.S. airport. Citing productive steps toward resolving this longstanding aeropolitical dispute, DOT released the MoC and further stated that Mexico will, among other things:
- Incrementally increase capacity at MEX as renovations progress and conduct a capacity declaration process following international best practice;
- Provide U.S. all-cargo carriers fair and transparent access to previously operated capacity and to request and operate slots at MEX; and
- Amend slot policies to better align them with international best practice.
The Government of Mexico also indicated that it offered to return all rescinded historic slots to U.S. air carriers, and while some carriers were not immediately able to re-utilize those slots, they would remain available to U.S. air carriers as their planning timelines and cross border market conditions dictate. Both governments agreed to form a bilateral working group to closely monitor implementation of these commitments and evaluate U.S. regulatory measures.
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