U.S. DOT Revokes 13 Mexican Routes and Suspends AIFA Passenger-Cargo Flights

Overview

• Aeroméxico, Volaris and Viva Aerobus lost approval for 13 existing or planned services, with two AIFA routes set to end on November 7 and the others halted immediately.
• All combined passenger-and-cargo flights from Mexico’s Felipe Ángeles airport are suspended, and growth in such services from Mexico City’s AICM is frozen.
• The order tentatively bans Mexican carriers from carrying belly cargo between AICM and the U.S., a measure that could take effect about 108 business days after finalization.
• Routes cited include Aeroméxico’s AIFA–Houston and AIFA–McAllen, Aeroméxico’s AICM–San Juan, Volaris’ AICM–Newark, and nine planned AIFA routes by Viva Aerobus to U.S. cities such as New York, Los Angeles and Miami.
• President Claudia Sheinbaum rejected the move as unilateral and requested urgent talks; airlines warn of connectivity and revenue impacts, with Viva Aerobus most exposed and Volaris noting limited cargo exposure as its shares fell.