A little more than a year after the operation of the bilateral air agreement between Mexico and the United States, more than 400 new routes between the two countries were authorized, Miguel Peláez, director of the General Directorate of Civil Aeronautics (DGAC), said.
Both Mexican and foreign airlines increased their number of flights between both countries.
“We have more requests and is a benefit for both countries and particularly for our country. It represents the opportunity for a very important exchange of all kinds,” he said.
The bilateral air agreement allows any Mexican or American airline to transport passengers between two cities without limits on frequencies, destinations or aircraft capacity, when previously only two airlines from each country were allowed to operate between two cities.
Peláez said that after Mexico City, beach destinations are the favorites of airlines traveling from the US to Mexico, so there is still an increase in applications to open new routes or increase frequencies between the two countries.
The main destinations in Mexico are: Cancun, Los Cabos, Puerto Vallarta, Culiacan, Veracruz, Villahermosa, Mazatlán, La Paz, Mexicali and Acapulco.
While the main destinations in the United States are: Los Angeles, Houston, Dallas, Chicago, Atlanta, Miami and New York.
From January to June alone, there were 138,548 flights between the two countries with the transportation of 15, 425,801 passengers.
This means a growth of 5.2% in the number of flights and 12.2% in the number of passengers, compared to the same period of the previous year, according to figures from the DGAC.
Airlines have also requested “fifth freedoms”, that is, the possibility of flying from the United States to Mexico, picking up passengers, and then flying to a third country; Or vice versa, from Mexico to the United States, pick up passengers and fly to a third country.
“Fifth freedoms are subject to the aviation authorities of each country and carry a very complete analysis with the airlines that fly to those cities where they apply and with the authorities of Economy, Foreign Affairs and Tourism. Whoever wants to apply can apply,” explained Peláez.
He added that the agreement has nothing to do with the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), so it will prevail even if there are modifications in the agreement.
The United States is the main international destination of the airlines in Mexico, with 71.5% of the trips abroad.
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