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The FAA Downgrades Mexico's Air Safety Rating: What It Means for Travelers

Where: Mexico
August 2, 2010 at 12:01 PM | by | Comments (0)

It’s a little too early to start planning spring break just yet, as college coeds haven’t even reported back to the dorms for the fall. However, there’s something that will concern them a little more than this year’s textbook bill. The FAA isn’t cool with Mexico’s airline safety ability, and the agency has downgraded their air safety rating to the level usually enjoyed by third-world countries.

This doesn’t mean that your dreams of delicious tacos in the streets of Mexico City and beer funnels in Cancun are ruined forever, but it does mean that Uncle Sam is slightly concerned about your safety while flying aboard Mexican airlines. Flights will continue, but AeroMexico and Mexicana won’t be getting any new routes to the United States anytime soon. Also, US airlines will stop allowing codeshares on flights operated by Mexican airlines. That means Delta can’t sell AeroMexico flights as their own, and the same goes with American Airlines partnering up with Mexicana.

Mexico is less than thrilled about this, and they’ve said that the downgrade is due to a shortage of flight inspectors. They insist that it has nothing to do with safety, and that it’s all about administrative and organizational issues. Of course the FAA has stood firm, and they insist that the country does not meet International Civil Aviation Organization standards.

The downgrade puts Mexico to a status of Category 2, and that’s usually reserved for commercial air service operated by developing nations. To us it sounds like the government is concerned about airline oversight, and that if something sketchy were to occur it would be because someone dropped the ball. We try not to react to stuff like this, but we’re probably going to stick with the government on this one. There’s plenty of US carriers heading south of the border, so probably just stick with them for a bit to be safe.

Related Stories:
· FAA Downgrades Mexico's Air Safety Rating [AP, via Google]
· FAA: Mexico Not Meeting International Aviation Standards [Seattle PI]
· Airline News coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Esparta]

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