Trump’s Department of Transportation is cutting flights between Mexico City and a number of U.S. cities, including Austin, as federal officials accuse Mexico of “anti-competitive behavior” in violation of a 2015 aviation pact.
The move will halt Viva Aerobus’ planned new route between Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and Mexico City’s Felipe Ángeles International Airport, which was set to launch in late November and operate three times per week.
The DOT announced the order Tuesday, prohibiting Mexican airlines from operating “combination service” — flights that transport both passengers and cargo — between U.S. airports and Felipe Ángeles International, which opened in 2022.
The order also ends existing Aeroméxico service from Felipe Ángeles to Houston and McAllen, and blocks proposed Viva Aerobus flights to Houston Bush, Dallas-Fort Worth and six other U.S. cities.
U.S. transportation officials pointed to a 2023 Mexican order banning cargo-only operations at Benito Juárez International Airport, or MEX, the nation’s largest airport. The DOT claims Mexico is violating the 2015 bilateral aviation agreement by giving Mexican carriers an unfair competitive advantage, allowing them to continue operating combination flights at MEX while restricting U.S. carriers.
Mexico also revoked permits for three American and three Mexican carriers to operate at MEX in what it said was an effort to reduce congestion at the airport.
“Mexico has illegally cancelled and frozen U.S. carrier flights for three years without consequences. All the while, Mexican carriers have been adding new routes and services between MEX and the United States,” the department said in a news release.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy accused the Mexican government of intentionally interfering with American carriers’ ability to compete in Mexico by forcing cargo operations to move to Felipe Ángeles, about 28 miles from the city center.
“Until Mexico stops the games and honors its commitments, we will continue to hold them accountable,” Duffy said. “No country should be able to take advantage of our carriers, our market, and our flyers without repercussions.”