Volaris CEO Enrique Beltranena predicts that a solution to the escalating aviation dispute between the United States and Mexico will emerge within the next few days. The dispute between the two countries started when Mexico’s previous government introduced new regulations that affected flight scheduling and airport access in Mexico City.
The U.S. Department of Transportation requires Mexican carriers to provide revised flight schedules while threatening to block new flight requests until airspace restrictions receive proper attention. The main issues stem from the Mexican government’s requirement to move cargo flights from Mexico City’s main airport to Felipe Angeles International Airport (AIFA) and its reduction of passenger flight slots.
Beltranena expressed his confidence on the second-quarter earnings call that the governments would establish a solution which benefits both parties logically. President Claudia Sheinbaum supported the airport relocation to AIFA while announcing that Mexico would consider making concessions during bilateral negotiations.
Sheinbaum supported the transition to AIFA by explaining that it represents a strategic plan to reduce the main airport’s congestion. The airport transformation program initiated by former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador faces opposition from U.S. airlines and regulatory bodies because of its operational and logistical consequences.
The two parties demonstrate a desire to prevent a wider conflict that would impact commercial air travel operations.
