Mexico's Federal Civil Aviation Agency (AFAC) is hosting the International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) review, administered by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), from August 10 to 14. The outcome will determine whether Mexico retains its Category 1 status, which allows domestic airlines to expand routes and frequencies to the United States.
Category 1 is a technical certification: if retained, Mexican carriers can open new routes, increase flight frequencies, and operate new aircraft on authorized itineraries; if lost, that growth is blocked. The assessment is grounded in the bilateral air transport treaty between Mexico and the United States, excludes commercial airlines, and verifies compliance with the operational safety standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Mexico has been through this before: the FAA downgraded it to Category 2 on May 25, 2021, and the country recovered Category 1 on September 14, 2023, after taking on budget commitments, corrective measures, and legislative changes. The current review functions as a verification of those commitments, according to Infobae.
The IASA review evaluates compliance with operational regulations, the execution of oversight functions, the qualifications of technical personnel, and the currency of aeronautical legislation. According to Infobae, sources close to the process indicate that five ICAO annexes related to licensing, airports, and navigation have been reviewed so far, and that recommendations will be issued once data collection is complete. In preparation, the AFAC has readied regulatory adjustments pending publication in the Diario Oficial de la Federación, including provisions on the cancellation and digital issuance of licenses for technical-aeronautical personnel and rules for assigning landing slots at congested aerodromes. The agency, led by retired General Emilio Avendaño, received a budget allocation of approximately 657 million pesos this year, compared to 902.09 million in 2023, according to El CEO.
The first formal results of the evaluation are expected around September, and the full process, according to specialist Rogelio Rodríguez Garduño, will extend for several more months. The Category 1 decision will determine whether Mexico retains the pathway to continue expanding its air connectivity with the United States, a direct asset for bilateral tourism and trade.
This article was drafted with the assistance of artificial intelligence from verified sources and reviewed by a human editor before publication.