Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, Secretary Of State John Kerry Issue Joint Statement

The heads of the State and Transportation Departments have issued a joint statement on the "entry into force" of an air transportation agreement signed between the U.S. and Mexico in December of last year.

The agreement removes the numerical limitations on the number of airlines that may provide passengers service in all U.S.-Mexico city pairs.  As a result, some city-pair markets might see the entrance of new carriers for the first time in many years, and airlines can consider offering new service in destinations that they could have never considered previously.  Cargo airlines, for the first time, will have expanded opportunities to provide service to new destinations that were not available under the current agreement, and to offer services from the United States to Mexico and beyond Mexico to other countries.

"We welcome the entry into force on August 21 of the Air Transport Agreement between the United States and Mexico that was signed on December 18, 2015," Secretaries Kerry and Foxx (pictured in file photo) said in a joint statement. "This new agreement will expand travel and trade between the United States and Mexico, and facilitate broader economic growth in both countries.

"By providing greater opportunities for passenger and cargo airlines to fly between any points in Mexico and the United States, the new agreement will benefit travelers, businesses, airports, and communities in both countries, as well as U.S. and Mexican airlines.  Carriers will now be able to provide new services not available under the previous agreement.  Passenger carriers will be able to provide new options for travelers and enhance competition, and cargo carriers will be able to link the United States and Mexico to global markets.

"This new chapter in commercial aviation between the United States and Mexico further strengthens our countries’ dynamic commercial and economic relationship and advances our mutual goal of shared prosperity," the statement concluded. 

"We welcome today’s entry into force of the new Air Transport Agreement between the United States and Mexico,” said ACI-NA President and CEO Kevin M. Burke. “With Latin America being one of the fastest growing markets, air transport liberalization agreements like this benefit passengers with new price and service competition. Airports in the United States and Mexico are powerful engines of economic growth and this agreement will provide more opportunity for airports to serve their passengers, business, and communities.”

(Source: News releases)

FMI: www.state.gov, www.transportation.gov, www.aci-na.org