“If foreign companies are allowed to operate domestic flights, they would need to serve the most profitable routes, perhaps lowering their prices initially and then, once the national airlines are depredated, they would have control of the routes and set high prices to recover the losses that their income has generated,” said the National Chamber of Air Transport (Canaero) in a statement.
The union body even assured that the proposal implies a risk of financial weakness that could lead to bankruptcy to national airlines.
About, Aeromexico issued a statement where it “fully agrees” with what was expressed by Canero, who has also asked to keep an eye on the airport usage charges (TUA), which “continue to increase with the authorization of the government.” According to industry experts, the airport usage fee represents between 39% and up to 65% of the total cost of the plane ticket on a domestic flight, depending on the route.
“The bill being analyzed in the Chamber of Deputies must exclude the term cabotage, and would have to focus in the changes necessary for the Mexican aeronautical authority to recover the Category 1 of aviation security”, said Aeroméxico in a statement referring to the degradation of the Mexican air authorities to Category 2, which prevents them from opening new routes and increasing capacities to the United States, which is about to go on for two years without being resolved.
To the call of Canaero and Aeroméxico was added that of you will flywhich also required “equal opportunities” in terms of being able to carry out cabotage in the countries of origin of the airlines that want to operate in Mexico with this model.
“Volaris reiterates its refusal to unilaterally cede participation in the Mexican market to foreign airlines. Today the Mexican air market has a wide and sufficient offer, flights at competitive and accessible prices, so there is no need to open the Mexican skies to foreign operators”, he assured.
The changes to the Civil Aviation and Airports Law will be discussed in the Chamber of Deputies in the course of the following weeks. Legislators from the infrastructure commission have reported that the opinion would be postponed to have a more precise understanding of the consequences of the changes that are sought to be made, for which reason they would seek to issue an opinion at the latest for the next April 30.
