Gives Airlines From Both Countries Additional Leeway In Establishing Customer Service Models

Airline trade industry association Airlines for America (A4A) and its Mexican counterpart association Camara Nacional de Aerotransportes (CANAERO) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to join efforts to promote air travel and tourism, facilitate the movement of goods and strengthen the development of air transport between the two countries.

Since the ratification of the U.S.-Mexico Air Services Agreement (ASA) in August 2016, there has been unprecedented growth in the cross-border market. This ASA gives airlines from both countries the freedom to establish customer service models that follow the global trend of passenger empowerment, allowing them to choose the additional services they want to add to their travel experience.

According to published schedule data, there are currently 221 nonstop routes between the two nations served by 14 different U.S. and Mexican passenger airlines, in addition to operations by 19 air cargo carriers. From 2010, cross-border air travel grew 7.2 percent annually to an all-time high of nearly 38,000 daily passengers in each direction in 2016. Through the first half of 2017, passenger volumes were up 10 percent.

Thus, as passenger and cargo operations between the two nations continue to steadily increase, CANAERO's Chairman of the Board, Sergio A. Allard, and A4A’s President and CEO, Nicholas E. Calio, signed the MoU last week to cultivate collaboration and share their knowledge about public policy issues and emerging matters that impact their respective members and the global air community.

“The U.S.-Mexico transborder market is increasingly important, with the number of passengers carried daily between our two countries increasing more than 50 percent since 2010,” said Calio. “We look forward to this bolstered partnership with CANAERO as we work toward our shared goal of air transport development and sustainable safety that matches this growing demand.”

"I am sure that this partnership will result in important benefits for aviation in both countries through the collaboration and coordination of the members and staff of both organizations we lead," Allard added.

The associations’ coordinated advocacy actions will seek to promote the adoption of international best practices on legislation and economic regulations, security, passenger rights and the environment, among other topics.

(Source: A4A news release)

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