Mexico says U.S. approves plan to recover Category 1 aviation rating

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MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – U.S. authorities approved Mexico’s government plan to recover its Category 1 aviation rating, revoked roughly a year and a half ago, according to a statement published by the Mexican Foreign Ministry on Friday.

Mexico expects to end its action plan to recover the U.S.-issued aviation rating in December, the statement said.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had downgraded Mexico’s aviation safety rating in May 2021, saying it fell short of regulating its air carriers “in accordance with minimum international safety standards.”

Restoring the category 1 rating would clear Aeromexico, Volaris and other Mexican carriers to add new U.S. flights and potentially carry out marketing agreements with U.S. airlines.

Authorities from the FAA are set to visit Mexico in January 2023 to present the conclusions of the corrective action plan, the statement added.

Mexico’s government said it aims to define the final date for its audit to recover the rating before the summer of 2023.

The FAA declined to confirm or deny the report. “We continue to provide assistance to Mexico’s civil aviation authority,” an FAA spokeswoman said.

Restoration of the U.S. Category 1 rating still may not put to rest all concerns about Mexico’s air safety, especially in its capital, whose main airport saw a series of worrying incidents earlier this year, including a near collision.

Since then, the Mexican government has held meetings with airlines and aeronautical authorities to redistribute flights and send more to the newly opened Felipe Angeles International Airport, located in the outskirts of the capital.