Mexico has agreed to guarantee fair access for U.S. airlines to slots at Mexico City International Airport, easing one of the longest-running friction points in its aviation dispute with Washington. The U.S. Department of Transportation said this week that Mexico has addressed concerns tied to the 2015 bilateral air agreement, though restrictions on Mexican airlines will remain in place until promised reforms are carried out.
Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy said the deal was reached under President Trump’s direction and that Mexico had agreed to stop what he called anticompetitive practices. He said the United States would keep its restrictions in force until it sees the promises translated into action.
The fight has centered on access to slots at the Mexico City International Airport, known as AICM, and Mexico’s move in 2022 to force U.S. cargo airlines to shift operations to the AIFA. The United States said Mexico rescinded slots from U.S. airlines that year, and Washington responded by eliminating 13 routes of Mexican airlines to the United States, freezing the growth of combined services by Mexican airlines between the United States and AICM, and prohibiting Mexican passenger airlines from carrying cargo.
Mexico said the talks advanced the inclusion of the AIFA in the Air Transport Agreement it signed with the United States, a change that could eventually remove the airport from a U.S. veto if Mexico follows through on the promised reforms. The agreement comes less than two months before the 2026 World Cup, which will be held in both countries, adding urgency to a dispute that has already reshaped cross-border air service.
The new understanding is not a full reset. The U.S. restrictions remain until the promised changes are implemented, which means airlines such as Viva Aerobus are still operating under the shadow of a dispute that began years ago and intensified after the 2022 moves. For now, the deal buys time and clears a path forward, but it also leaves Washington with leverage if Mexico stalls.