U.S. concludes Mexico airspace review, but no verdict yet

A government source told Reuters earlier on Friday that the finished audit was Mexico's "last," implying a positive resolution. The FAA downgraded Mexico's aviation safety rating to Category 2 in 2021, blocking Mexican carriers from adding new U.S. flights.

U.S. aviation regulators finished a Mexican airspace safety review but have not yet announced a final decision, the transportation ministry said in a statement on Friday, more than two years after Mexico was stripped of its top security rating.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) still has several weeks to finalize a decision. A government source told Reuters earlier on Friday that the finished audit was Mexico's "last," implying a positive resolution.

The FAA downgraded Mexico's aviation safety rating to Category 2 in 2021, blocking Mexican carriers from adding new U.S. flights. Restoring the FAA's Category 1 safety rating would clear airlines like Aeromexico and Volaris to add new routes to the United States and potentially carry out marketing agreements with U.S. carriers.

Since Mexico lost the rating, the FAA has conducted a series of audits on the local civil aviation authority and its compliance with international safety standards. After Mexico modified its civil aviation law in April, some aviation analysts expected a quick recovery of the top air safety rating. Asked to comment on Mexico's air safety rating, an FAA spokesperson would only say the agency continues "to provide assistance to Mexico's civil aviation authority."

Mexican authorities did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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