PUERTO VALLARTA, Jalisco, Sept. 18, 2026 — Mexico’s proposed 2027 fiscal package would raise airline air-navigation charges 10%, adding potential cost pressure to flights serving Puerto Vallarta.
The measure has been sent to Congress and is not yet law. It would increase an airline operating charge rather than create a direct passenger tax.
No route-by-route fare estimate appears in the proposal details reported Friday. A 10% increase in the airline charge would not automatically produce a 10% increase in ticket prices.
For this report, we compared two independent accounts of the proposal with Mexico’s current Federal Rights Law, the federal air-navigation agency’s responsibilities and Puerto Vallarta’s latest airport traffic figures.
Puerto Vallarta passengers would not pay the fee directly
Airlines and other aircraft operators pay the federal charge for using Mexican airspace. It applies to domestic flights, international flights, and aircraft crossing the country.
The current Federal Rights Law calculates the charge through factors that include aircraft wingspan and distance flown within Mexican airspace.
That distinction matters for passengers using Licenciado Gustavo Díaz Ordaz International Airport on Carretera a Tepic in Colonia Villa Las Flores.
The proposal does not add a new charge that travelers would pay separately at the PVR terminal. Any fare effect would depend on airline pricing, the aircraft used, the route, and the number of passengers.
Carriers could absorb the additional expense or include some portion in ticket prices. The proposed legislation does not prescribe how airlines must respond.
Current charges show the scale of the increase
Article 289 of the current law sets a charge of 12.85 pesos per kilometer for large aircraft. Medium aircraft pay 8.60 pesos per kilometer.
If the proposed 10% increase applied evenly, those rates would rise to about 14.14 pesos and 9.46 pesos per kilometer. Those figures are PVDN calculations, not government ticket-price estimates.
The law also permits certain operators to use fixed payments linked to aircraft size and fuel supply. That alternative prevents a single per-passenger estimate from applying across every flight.
A separate review of the proposed changes confirmed that the increase would apply to Mexican and foreign airlines operating in the country.
The Finance Ministry said the adjustment was designed under “criteria of graduality and proportionality” to limit its effect on aviation users and consumer fares.
Government cites higher navigation costs
The Finance Ministry said Mexico’s airspace charges had gone without a substantial update while operating, maintenance and modernization expenses increased.
According to the ministry’s explanation, that gap has reduced the national air-navigation system’s capacity. The government also said Mexico’s charges remain among the lowest in Latin America.
The revenue is connected to a system operated by Servicios a la Navegación en el Espacio Aéreo Mexicano, known as SENEAM. The agency provides air traffic control, navigation assistance, meteorological information and other services required for aircraft operations.
The ministry described the increase as necessary to support the system’s technical, operational and financial viability.
SENEAM faces a proposed budget reduction
The fee increase appears alongside a proposed reduction in SENEAM’s federal budget.
A review of the draft budget reported that SENEAM would receive about 926 million pesos in 2027. Congress approved approximately 3.91 billion pesos for the agency in 2026.
That would leave the agency with roughly one-quarter of its previous appropriation before any congressional changes.
Fee collections and annual budget appropriations are separate parts of federal finances. The material reviewed by PVDN does not establish that every additional peso collected through the higher charge would increase SENEAM’s spending authority.
Staffing concerns also predate the 2027 proposal. Earlier reporting based on the federal transportation sector plan said the government had acknowledged insufficient aviation oversight personnel and weaknesses in air traffic control capacity.
Puerto Vallarta traffic remains below 2025 levels
The proposed increase comes while Puerto Vallarta’s aviation market is handling fewer passengers than last year.
The airport recorded 4.23 million passengers from January through August, down 12.4% from the same period in 2025, according to Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico’s August traffic report.
International passenger traffic fell 19.7% during those eight months. Domestic traffic declined 3%.
August alone brought 426,900 passengers through PVR, a 10.3% annual decline. International traffic fell 26.3%, as PVDN reported this month.
The proposed navigation charge did not cause those declines because it has not taken effect. However, airlines would face the higher expense in a local market where passenger volume remains below its 2025 level.
Congress can approve, amend, or reject the proposed increase. Existing 2026 charges remain in force while lawmakers consider the fiscal package.
