Mexico’s Air Controllers to Protest Over Pay, Hiring

Mexican air traffic controllers will mobilize in Mexico City on Dec. 3 to demand wage adjustments, updated benefits and the hiring of at least 500 additional controllers. The National Union of Air Traffic Controllers (SINACTA), which issued the call to assemble, said the move follows repeated refusals by the Ministry of Finance to revise compensation levels that workers argue have eroded in recent years.

“Faced with the categorical and unfounded refusal of the Ministry of Finance to our request to restore the purchasing power of salaries and benefits, and to address the urgent need for 500 positions, we confirm our decision to gather as many controllers as possible in Mexico City to make our fully justified demands heard,” said José Covarrubias, Secretary General of SINACTA.

For more than seven years, controllers have reported irregular salary payments, payroll delays and benefits that have not been updated. Although Mexican law prohibits controllers from striking — a work stoppage would constitute a criminal offense — the workforce has operated under protest for the past year, citing deteriorating labor conditions.

The union links these challenges to broader pressures across Mexico’s air traffic management system. Controllers point to outdated infrastructure, a sustained increase in flight operations and a personnel deficit of roughly 500 controllers. These factors, they argue, compound workloads and raise concerns about safety margins in daily operations.

SENEAM, the government agency responsible for air navigation services, reported earlier this year that it faced a funding shortfall to meet payroll obligations. The agency requested a budget expansion of MX$259 million (US$14.9 million) to pay staff salaries for week 21, underscoring the financial strain within the system.

In parallel with the upcoming mobilization, SINACTA and the citizen collective “More Air Safety, Less Noise” are seeking formal participation in the ongoing redesign of the Valley of Mexico airspace. Both groups asked authorities to include them in the technical working groups evaluating modifications to arrival and departure procedures at Mexico City International Airport (AICM).

The collective, which represents more than 60 neighborhoods—primarily in the western part of the Valley of Mexico—advocates for reduced noise exposure and improved operational safety. Community-funded monitoring at 17 locations, covering 1,000 hours of measurements, recorded noise levels exceeding 100 decibels in several areas, a shift they attribute to the 2021 airspace redesign that redirected flight paths over dense residential zones in elevated terrain.