CNET and INTERprotección Announce “Viaja Seguro” Initiative

The National Tourism Business Council (CNET) has created the initiative "Viaja Seguro" (VIGO) in alliance with INTERprotección, a travel road insurance company aiming to reactivate the travel segment in Mexico that highlights the importance of having travel insurance assistance in case of any event related to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Recently, the FAA downgraded Mexico’s air safety rating from Category 1 to Category 2 stating that “Mexico does not meet International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) safety standards.” In response to the downgrade, CNET announced a partnership with INTERprotección where through INTERprotection's VIGO people will have the option to protect themselves when traveling. The purpose of this system is to emphasize the importance of following all biosecurity protocols that are required when traveling in the country as a result of COVID-19, and above all, to have travel assistance in case of any unforeseen event related to this disease, as reported by their website.

The benefits of VIGO system are as follows:

• Medical assistance: telephone medical guidance, on-site doctor free of charge, preferential costs at clinics and hospitals, ambulance, among others.
• Travel assistance: shipment and recovery of luggage, hotel for medical convalescence or inability to travel, funeral repatriation for foreigners, among others.
• Covid-19 Assistance: Medical expenses for hospitalization, payment for medical fees and payment and shipment for medications.

The impact of this new system is still left to be seen, but users can start registering at INTERprotección’s website.

Overview of the FAA’s Downgrade

The new Category 2 rating will allow airlines to continue operating existing routes to the US but forbids the creation of new routes, as reported by MBN. “A Category 2 rating means that the country’s laws or regulations lack the necessary requirements to oversee the country’s air carriers in accordance with minimum international safety standards or the civil aviation authority is lacking in one or more areas such as technical expertise, trained personnel, record-keeping, inspection procedures or the resolution of safety concerns,” reads FAA’s statement. However, it is important to mention, that the FAA’s downgrade has not been as impactful as first expected. Mexico’s ultra-low-cost airline Viva Aerobus, for example, announced that it expects no effects on its operating routes to the US, which represent 14 percent of its total operations. The airline explained in a press release that the downgrade will not affect travel itineraries for its customers, as reported by MBN. Volaris, a Mexican airline that claimed its routes will remain unaffected as well as Delta airlines claimed its flights to and from Mexico will not be affected thanks to its collaboration with Aeroméxico.