This week, Mexico faces a new air safety evaluation by the United States, a process that could be key to maintaining Category 1 that the country recovered in 2023, after spending more than two years under a lower classification. The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) carries out the International Aviation Safety Assessment Program (IASA) to the Federal Civil Aviation Agency (AFAC) from August 10 to 14.

The review is carried out in Mexican territory and is part of the monitoring mechanisms established in the bilateral air transport treaty between both countries. The objective is to verify that the Mexican authority maintains the operational safety standards established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

Unlike an inspection directed at an airline, the IASA program evaluates the ability of civil aviation authorities to supervise companies operating under their jurisdiction. The AFAC confirmed the completion of the evaluation and assured that it maintains its commitment to strengthening operational safety and compliance with international standards.

The FAA reviews processes and capacity of Mexican personnel

The US assessment includes eight critical elements of oversight, including aviation legislation, training of technical personnel, certification and licensing systems, operator oversight, and mechanisms to resolve safety issues. According to information released by internal sources, who indicated that the first days of the review would have revealed deficiencies related to personnel training, budgetary resources and certification processes for English used in aeronautical communications.

One of the sources cited described the situation as "We are going very badly. Worse than last time," while another pointed out alleged shortages of specialized personnel and financial resources. Among the points under review is the ability of AFAC technicians to evaluate the specialized linguistic competence known as Restricted Aeronautical Radiotelephonist International (RTARI), an issue that, according to the sources cited, continues to represent a challenge for the Mexican authority.

The in-person evaluation occurs after a first stage in which the FAA sent a questionnaire to the AFAC on surveillance, aviation safety, accident investigation and other procedures.

Losing Category 1 would have an impact on flights to the US.

The precedent that keeps the Mexican airline sector under attention dates back to May 2021, when the FAA reduced Mexico from Category 1 to Category 2 after determining that its supervision system did not comply with minimum international standards. Mexico recovered Category 1 in September 2023, after a technical cooperation process between the authorities of both countries to correct the deficiencies detected.

An eventual downgrade back to Category 2 would have consequences for Mexican airlines seeking to expand their operations to the United States. Companies could retain existing routes but not open new services, while U.S. airlines would face restrictions on establishing codeshare agreements with Mexican operators.

The FAA would also increase the level of supervision over Mexican operations. For now, ongoing evaluation and U.S. authorities will need to determine if there are deficiencies that require corrective action. The AFAC maintains that permanent compliance with international standards is essential to preserve confidence in Mexican civil aviation and maintain air connectivity between Mexico and the United States.

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