The FAA Downgraded Mexico's Flight Safety Rating — Here's What That Means for U.S. Travelers

It just got harder for Mexican airlines to launch new flights to the U.S.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has downgraded Mexico’s flight safety rating to a Category 2 from a Category 1 — a change that will impact codesharing agreements and prohibit Mexican carriers from debuting new flights to the U.S.

Load Error

Mexican carriers will be allowed to continue existing service to the U.S., but the FAA said that it “will increase its scrutiny of Mexican airline flights.”

The FAA conducted a safety assessment of Mexico’s civil aviation authority between October 2020 and February 2021 and found several violations of international flight safety standards set by the United Nations’ International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). The agency regularly assesses aviation safety practices in countries whose carriers operate or apply to operate in the U.S. “The assessments determine whether international civil aviation authorities meet minimum ICAO safety standards, not FAA regulations,” the FAA noted.

Video: FAA Says Airlines Have Reported about 2,500 Incidents of Unruly Passengers (Travel + Leisure)

• 

  How Montauk — and the Hamptons Wellness Scene — Have Evolved Over 50 Years

  

  Travel + Leisure
  

• 

  New York Is Giving Away State Park Passes to Anyone Who Gets Vaccinated This Week

  

  Travel + Leisure
  

• 

  How Coney Island Became the Place to Be on a Summer Day in New York City

  

  Travel + Leisure
  

• 

  FAA Says Airlines Have Reported about 2,500 Incidents of Unruly Passengers

  

  Travel + Leisure
  

• 

  This Trip on the Four Seasons Jet Goes to Antarctica, Machu Picchu, the Bahamas, and More

  

  Travel + Leisure
  

• 

  Royal Caribbean Is First U.S. Cruise Line Approved by CDC for Test Cruises This Summer

  

  Travel + Leisure
  

• 

  Disney World's 'It's A Small World' Comes to Life With This New Board Game

  

  Travel + Leisure
  

• 

  How the Maldives Transformed From a Fishing Archipelago to a Tropical Hot Spot in 50 Years

  

  Travel + Leisure
  

• 

  The Athens Riviera Is Returning to a World-Renowned Beachfront Destination

  

  Travel + Leisure
  

• 

  Airbnb Rolls Out New Search Feature Making Traveling More "Flexible" Than Ever

  

  Travel + Leisure
  

• 

  Beneath the Waves and Southern Tide Are Saving Sharks With One Super Stylish Capsule Colle

  

  Travel + Leisure
  

• 

  This Famed Italian Day Spa Is Opening on Governor's Island — Including Outdoor Thermal Pools With Skyline Views

  

  Travel + Leisure
  

• 

  How the Jersey Shore Became a Favorite Summer Getaway for East Coasters

  

  Travel + Leisure
  

• 

  The National Zoo Reopened — and Everybody Is Obsessed With Its New Baby Panda

  

  Travel + Leisure
  

• 

  Amtrak Is Bringing Back Service on 12 of Its Long-haul Routes Just in Time for Summer

  

  Travel + Leisure
  

• 

  Southwest Airlines Bringing Back Alcoholic Beverages This Summer

  

  Travel + Leisure
  

• 
  How Montauk — and the Hamptons Wellness Scene — Have Evolved Over 50 Years
  It all started at Gurney’s five decades ago with seawater wellness shots.
  
  
  Travel + Leisure
  

• 
  New York Is Giving Away State Park Passes to Anyone Who Gets Vaccinated This Week
  Here's one more COVID-19 vaccination perk to add to the list.
  
  
  Travel + Leisure
  

• 
  How Coney Island Became the Place to Be on a Summer Day in New York City
  A look at the rise, fall, and rebuilding of a summer wonderland.
  
  
  Travel + Leisure
  

Related: FAA Says Airlines Have Reported about 2,500 Incidents of Unruly Passengers

Delta president Glen Hauenstein said at a conference covered by Reuters that he was expecting the move to have limited impact on consumers. What it might do is restrict Aeromexico’s ability to expand into the United States, he explained.

“So very little impact for our customers booking through Delta,” he said, Reuters reported.

Delta does have a codeshare agreement with Aeromexico and will now have to remove its codes from the airline’s flights. Codeshare agreements allow two or more airlines to market the same flight.

Even without the codeshare arrangement in place, however, Delta plans to allow travelers to continue accruing SkyMiles on Aeromexico flights, Reuters reported.

The U.S. previously downgraded Mexico’s air safety rating in 2010, restoring it to a Category 1 about four months later.

Meena Thiruvengadam is a Travel + Leisure contributor who has visited 50 countries on six continents and 47 U.S. states. She loves historic plaques, wandering new streets and walking on beaches. Find her on Facebook and Instagram.

Source: Read Full Article