On Thursday, Mexican civil aviation reached an unlucky milestone, two years for the reason that Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) downgraded the country to Category 2 status after it failed to fulfill International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) safety standards during an assessment made in 2021.
Mexico stays in Category 2
Two years have passed, and Mexico stays in Category 2. Countries with direct connectivity with the USA are usually assessed by the FAA to examine in the event that they meet ICAO’s safety standards. Those that do, receive Category 1 status. Those that don’t are degraded to Category 2, which prohibits any latest services and routes from their local carriers, amongst other proscriptions.
As of May 2023, 11 countries have been downgraded by the FAA to Category 2. These nations are Bangladesh, Mexico, the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (Antigua & Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and St. Kitts and Nevis), Russia, Thailand, and Venezuela.
Through the last two years, Mexican airlines have lost potential revenue of roughly two billion pesos ($115 million), in keeping with some experts which have talked to Easy Flying) and market share. As of March 2023, the Mexico-US market –an important international market globally– was heavily dominated by US carriers. These operators had 77.1% of all of the passengers carried. American Airlines had a 21.3% share, followed by United Airlines (14.8%), Delta Air Lines (13.0%), Volaris (12.2%), Southwest Airlines (7.0%), and Aeromexico (6.6%).
When will Mexico regain Category 1 status?
In recent weeks, the Mexican civil aviation authorities released a press release saying they’d corrected all of the findings by the FAA. They argued the country is prepared for a brand new audit and regain Category 1 status shortly.
The local newspaper El Financiero reported that the FAA is predicted to carry a brand new audit next week. This audit could last until June 2. Easy Flying reached the FAA to verify the reports of this possible latest audit; the agency didn’t reply to this query and said,
Mexican authorities are hoping to regain Category 1 status inside the following couple of months. Experts across the aviation industry unanimously agree that regaining Category 1 status must be Mexico’s civil aviation agency’s primary priority.
When do you expect Mexico will regain Category 1 status with the FAA? Tell us within the comments below.