Background on Mexico’s Aviation Safety Challenges
Following the downgrade to Category 2 by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in 2023 due to numerous deficiencies, Mexico faced another audit from the International Civil Aviation Organization (OACI) in 2024. Unfortunately, the OACI audit results have not improved much compared to those from the FAA, but with a crucial difference: OACI does not assign categories, and its findings do not directly restrict Mexican airlines from expanding their international flight routes.
OACI Audit Findings and Their Implications
According to the OACI audit results from the past year, Mexico ranks very low in several criteria measured by the Universal Security Operational Oversight Program (USOAP). This program, conducted approximately every decade by the United Nations organization, verifies if countries are fulfilling their commitments from the Chicago Convention annexes.
- USOAP Categories:
- Primary Civil Aviation Legislation and Operational Specific Regulations (LEG)
- Civil Aviation Organization (ORG)
- Licensing and Training of Personnel (PEL)
- Aircraft Operations (OPS)
- Airworthiness of Aircraft (AIR)
- Air Navigation Services (ANS)
- Aerodromes and Ground Infrastructure (AGA)
- Air Accident and Incident Investigation (AIG)
The audit evaluates the percentage of compliance for each country, and Mexico exhibits significant deficiencies in Civil Aviation Organization, Air Navigation Services, and Air Accident & Incident Investigation. Other categories fall below the average, including Legislation and Regulations, Aerodromes & Ground Infrastructure, Airworthiness, and Aircraft Operations. The only category where Mexico meets the global average is Licensing and Training of Personnel, likely due to the FAA’s 2021 audit where efforts were made to allow Mexico to increase its operations.
Comparing Mexico’s results with other countries, such as Rwanda and Botswana, reveals that Mexico lags behind in all categories. Both Rwanda and Botswana have higher ratings than Mexico across the board.
Addressing Mexico’s Aviation Safety Issues
To reverse this downward trend, coordinating efforts among diverse governmental actors seems challenging. Ideally, the Secretaría de Infraestructura, Comunicaciones y Transportes (SICT) should regain control over the entire aviation sector, including airports, airlines, agencies, and service departments. The current fragmented approach with competing authorities only leads to disfunctionalities, as evidenced by the audit results.
Mexico requires a robust and growing civil aviation sector with coordination and direction.
