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Mexico regains FAA Category 1, touts new US routes

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reinstated Mexico's Category 1 aviation safety rating after more than two years, permitting carriers to announce new routes between the two countries. The Mexican Ministry of Communications and Transportation (Secretaría de Comunicaciones y Transportes - SICT) said that around 50 new routes are expected in the short term.

Mexico was downgraded to Category 2 in May 2021 following an FAA audit that found violations of International Civil Aviation Organization safety standards. Since then, the Mexican civil aviation authority (Agencia Federal de Aviacion Civil - AFAC) has been working closely with FAA inspectors to regain the crucial clearance.

All three largest Mexican carriers - Aeroméxico, Volaris, and VivaAerobus - issued press releases celebrating the restoration of the Category 1 rating and said they would resume their respective US expansion plans, although they did not detail any specific routes. Under the Category 2 rating, airlines from both countries could continue existing services (including code-shares) but were not permitted to launch any new services or partnerships. The restriction also covered cargo...

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