Mexico to Restore AICM Flight Slots to Major US Airlines

The Government of Mexico is preparing to return six takeoff and landing slots at Mexico City International Airport (AICM) to United Airlines, American Airlines, and Delta Air Lines, according to  sources consulted by Expansión. These carriers lost the same slots during the second round of operational cuts in 2023. A source familiar with the negotiations said the government will return “the same slots they had to hand over during the second reduction,” with allocations matching what each airline previously surrendered.

The move follows a shift in US policy. In late October, the US Department of Transportation announced it would revoke 13 routes operated by Mexican carriers and freeze any new growth at AICM and Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA), citing what it called “illegal restrictions” imposed by Mexico over three years, including the suspension or cancellation of US carrier flights “without bilateral justification.”

In mid-November, President Claudia Sheinbaum said US airlines would recover schedules at AICM, without specifying a number. Industry sources later confirmed it would be six slots. She explained that “in recent weeks, a distribution of slots was carried out in which Mexican airlines ceded their slots to US airlines within a competitiveness framework,” adding that state-owned Mexicana de Aviación and several private operators agreed to transfer time slots. Sheinbaum emphasized the redistribution was “internally agreed” among domestic airlines, with airport authorities assigning the specific time bands.

The Colegio de Pilotos Aviadores de México called for proportionality in the reallocation. Its president, Ángel Domínguez Catzín, said, “We hope this does not go too far… In 2023, around six slots were withdrawn from US airlines, which are now being returned.”

AICM is stabilizing operations after years of congestion. The airport currently handles 44 slots per hour, down from over 60 before reductions began in August 2022. Transferring cargo flights to AIFA eased pressure but created diplomatic friction.

Eliseo Llamazares, aviation and tourism lead partner, KPMG México, noted the airport “has capacity to grow much more and to restore all slots to all companies operating there,” adding that operational and technological improvements are key. “There are airports with one runway handling 60 operations per hour, indicating room for growth.”

No public timetable for the reallocation has been announced. Industry specialists expect the change will avoid the high-demand holiday period to prevent operational disruptions.

Concerns remain that airport decisions have reflected political considerations. A source said, “This should be transparent and clear, but it is the result of turning technical decisions into political decisions, which affects certainty.”

Amid ongoing aviation tensions, a US court granted a suspension allowing the  Aeroméxico–Delta Air Lines alliance to continue operating, temporarily overturning a previous US Department of Transportation order to halt the joint venture.

For US carriers, the restored slots will reconnect markets lost after the 2023 cuts. For Mexican airlines, the reallocation could alter competition on international routes, testing coordination among regulators, operators, and airport authorities to avoid renewed congestion.