By Kylie Madry and Adriana Barrera
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Mexico’s transport ministry said on Friday that the U.S. aviation regulator had completed a review of Mexican airspace security, but had not announced yet. The final decision comes more than two years after the country was stripped of its top aviation rating.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) still has several weeks to make a final decision on whether Mexico will reinstate the rating, the Department of Transportation said in a statement.
FAA downgrades Mexico’s aviation safety rating to Category 2 in 2021, citing safety deficiencies and preventing Aeromexico from adding new US flights.
Since Mexico lost its rating, the FAA has conducted a series of audits of local civil aviation authorities and their compliance with international safety standards.
A government source told Reuters earlier on Friday that the concluded audit was Mexico’s “last”, implying a positive resolution.
Mexican newspaper El Financiero had earlier reported that Mexico had reinstated its safety rating, citing government sources, but returned to the original report shortly after.
American Airlines, and may enter into marketing agreements with American Airlines.
Aeromexico Chief Executive Andres Conesa said last year the damage from the downgrade was “significant”.
In the two years since the FAA dropped Mexico to Category 2, the country has revised its aviation standards, changed officials, and recently fully The Civil Aviation Law was amended.
Asked Commenting on Mexico’s aviation safety rating, an FAA spokesman would say only that the agency continues to “provide assistance to Mexico’s civil aviation authorities.”
