The U.S. Department of Transportation is putting new restrictions on Mexican airlines, saying Mexico hasn’t held up its end of a long-standing aviation agreement. The changes, announced Saturday by Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy, come as part of the Trump administration’s push to protect American carriers and enforce fair competition in the skies.
At the heart of the dispute is the 2015 U.S.-Mexico Air Transport Agreement, which was meant to open up travel between the two countries and make things more competitive for airlines. But according to U.S. officials, Mexico started breaking the rules in 2022—taking away important airport slots from U.S. airlines and forcing American cargo carriers to move out of Mexico City’s main airport, Benito Juárez International (MEX), with little notice.
“Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg deliberately allowed Mexico to break our bilateral aviation agreement,” Duffy claimed in a news release. “That ends today. Let these actions serve as a warning to any country who thinks it can take advantage of the U.S., our carriers, and our market. America First means fighting for the fundamental principle of fairness.”
What’s Changing
To push back against what the DOT calls unfair behavior, the department has laid out three new rules:
- Flight Schedules – Mexican airlines now have to file detailed schedules for all U.S. flights with the DOT.
- Charter Approvals – Any large charter flights to or from the U.S. by Mexican carriers must get prior approval from the DOT.
- Delta-Aeromexico Deal – The DOT wants to take back the antitrust immunity given to the Delta-Aeromexico joint venture, which currently allows them to coordinate pricing, flights, and revenue.
If that immunity is officially pulled, the two airlines would still be able to work together in more limited ways—like codesharing or offering reciprocal frequent flyer perks—but wouldn’t be allowed to act as one business unit in the U.S.-Mexico market.
"The U.S. Department of Transportation's tentative proposal to terminate its approval of the strategic and pro-competitive partnership between Delta and Aeromexico would cause significant harm to consumers traveling between the U.S. and Mexico, as well as U.S. jobs, communities, and transborder competition," Delta told ABC 7.
Why It Matters
This all stems from actions Mexico took back in 2022, which the DOT says were unfair and disruptive. Mexico removed slots not just from American airlines like Delta, United, and American, but from its own carriers too—including Aeromexico and Viva Aerobus—claiming congestion at MEX as the reason.
Then in early 2023, Mexico issued a surprise decree forcing all-cargo flights to leave MEX and move to the newer Felipe Ángeles International Airport. That caused major problems for American businesses that depend on fast, reliable cargo shipping.
U.S. officials also point out that Mexico has failed to implement a fair and internationally recognized system for slot allocation at its airports, something that’s required under the 2015 agreement.
“Mexico’s actions harm airlines seeking to enter the market, existing competitor airlines, consumers of air travel and products relying on time-sensitive air cargo shipments traded between the two countries, and other stakeholders in the American economy,”the DOT said in its statement.
What’s Next?
According to Newsweek, talks between the two countries are still ongoing, but an accord has not been reached yet. The U.S. says it’s watching closely and may take more action if Mexico doesn’t change course, including possibly blocking future flight requests from Mexican airlines.
This move also sends a broader message: the U.S. is ready to push back against any country that, in its view, doesn’t play fair when it comes to international aviation.
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