US Revokes Approval For 13 Mexican Airline Routes, Citing Violations Of Aviation Agreement

The U.S. Department of Transportation on Oct. 28 revoked its approval for 13 Mexican airline routes into the United States, citing similar treatment by Mexico that has yet to be addressed.

It also said it was revoking U.S. access for all Mexican “belly cargo” flights that carry both passengers and cargo in and out of Mexico City’s Felipe Angeles International Airport.

The order also cancels current or planned flights by Mexican airlines Aeromexico, Volaris, and Viva Aerobus.

In issuing the order, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said that Mexico “illegally canceled and froze U.S. carrier flights for three years without consequences.”

The Epoch Times’ Melanie Sun goes on to note that the department said Mexico has violated the two nations’ bilateral aviation agreement since 2022, when it revoked routes for U.S. passenger carriers and banned U.S. cargo operations from using Mexico City’s Benito Juárez International Airport. U.S. airlines were forced to land at Felipe Angeles International Airport, which is 26 miles out of the city.

Duffy also proposed prohibiting Mexican passenger airlines from transporting belly cargo between Juárez Airport and the United States, which would take effect in about three months if finalized.

The department said the restrictions were a result of Mexico’s continued noncompliance and “may impact travel plans for American citizens.” It advised passengers to contact their carrier for specific information regarding their flights.

“Until Mexico stops the games and honors its commitments, we will continue to hold them accountable. No country should be able to take advantage of our carriers, our market, and our flyers without repercussions,” Duffy said.

The disapproved flights are the Aeromexico service between Mexico City Juárez and San Juan; Volaris service between Juárez and Newark, New Jersey; Viva Aerobus’s proposed services between Felipe Angeles and Austin, New York, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, and Orlando; and Aeromexico’s current service between Felipe Angeles and Houston and McAllen, Texas.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy (C) holds a press conference at LaGuardia Airport in the Queens borough of New York City, on Oct. 28, 2025. Shannon Stapleton/Reuters

The Epoch Times reached out to Mexico’s transportation ministry, Aeromexico, Volaris, and Viva Aerobus for comment.

The revocation comes a month after the U.S. Transportation Department ordered Delta Air Lines and Aeromexico to cease their joint venture that had let the carriers coordinate scheduling, pricing, and capacity decisions for U.S.–Mexico flights.

The department said it was the result of anti-competitive behaviour that provides “an unfair advantage to Delta and Aeromexico,” which was having negative effects on the U.S.–Mexico City markets. The carriers were accounting for about 60 percent of passenger flights between Mexico City and the United States.

Last month, Duffy warned European governments against imposing unilateral restrictions on transatlantic travel, saying Washington is prepared to enforce international agreements, a stance underscored by recent action taken against Mexico over similar concerns.