The documents also give some examples of what has given rise to some of the observations, such as the one related to the lack of a system to ensure that the airworthiness requirements for the authorizations and special approvals of the holders of air operator certificates are met.
“For example, AFAC was unable to provide evidence regarding the numerous ground and air disruptions experienced by Aeromexico during 2021”, states the report. “Also, engine condition monitoring (ECM) is not being monitored in operator reliability programs,” he added.
The same Agency recognizes the lack of a system to identify the deviations of a pilot that could lead to an action on his license, to the point that AFAC could not provide the FAA evidence of a single pilot deficiency or noncompliance during a two-year period. “In addition, there is no reporting system in place or in place to investigate pilot deviations or noncompliance,” the reports say.
The comments on some of the pending points show that some problems may be more difficult to resolve.
One of the FAA’s observations is that AFAC has not applied its own airworthiness regulatory requirements, nor those of another State, and took as an example the airplanes Let L-410 Turboletthat inter jet assured that it would use in its return to operations.
“No objective evidence was provided that the Let-410 aircraft met Mexico’s registration requirements,” the AFAC report indicates. “Possible solutions continue to be analyzed with the technical areas.”
Downgrading to Category 2 is one of the biggest challenges facing the airline industry in Mexico. Although the COVID-19 pandemic dealt a heavy blow to travel demand, the sector quickly recovered; however, the loss of Category 1 has prevented airlines from opening new routes and placing more planes to USA.