Mexico regains FAA Category 1 status

According to a statement issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Mexico regained Category 1 status in the International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) after two years, a reclassification that confirms that Mexican aviation complies with the operational standards required by the US agency.

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With the return to Category 1, Mexico can now introduce new services and routes to the US. Additionally, US airlines are permitted to resume marketing and ticket sales with their names and designated codes on flights operated by Mexican airlines.

On September 8, President Andrés Manuel Lopez Obrador had hinted that the measure would be signed «next week», and that it had already been confirmed to the Mexican state.

Mexican President Announces Mexico’s Return to FAA Category 1 Status Next Week

Collaboration between the FAA and the AFAC

The FAA has provided expertise and resources to Mexico’s Federal Civil Aviation Agency (AFAC) to correct the safety discrepancies that resulted in the downgrade. Over the past two years, a specialized team of aviation safety experts from the FAA has visited various Mexican aviation facilities and dependencies several times to facilitate the necessary improvements and audit the progress.

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In May 2021, the FAA downgraded Mexico’s International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) rating to Category 2, identifying that the nation did not comply with the safety protocols of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

Impact of Category 2 on Mexican Aviation

Diana Olivares, president of the National Chamber of Air Transport (Canaero) and manager of LATAM Airlines in Mexico, said in June of this year that the losses generated by the downgrade had reached one billion dollars.

Diana Olivares: Mexico’s airlines lost over one billion dollars due to safety downgrade

Under the IASA program, the FAA examines the civil aviation authorities of countries whose airlines seek to operate in the United States or participate in code-share agreements with US airlines.

These evaluations aim to determine whether these authorities comply with the ICAO safety standards, rather than FAA regulations. To maintain a Category 1 rating, it is imperative that a country adheres to the safety standards of the ICAO, a United Nations entity responsible for formulating international standards and recommended practices for aircraft operations and maintenance.