"Mexico is Not Anyone's Piñata": President Sheinbaum Slams US Decision to Block New AIFA Flights
President Claudia Sheinbaum condemned the U.S. DOT's block on new AIFA flights, calling it "unilateral" and "unfounded." She defended the cargo decree as a "sovereign decision" necessary for "civil protection" at the saturated old airport.
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Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced Wednesday that she "does not agree" with a decision by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to block new flights from Mexico's Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA) to the United States. During her daily press conference, the president called the move a "unilateral" action that, from Mexico's perspective, has "no foundation".
The dispute centers on two arguments raised by the U.S., which Sheinbaum said were not new and had been "answered with all promptness". The first is a Mexican presidential decree that moved dedicated cargo operations from the saturated Benito Juárez International Airport (AICM) to the newer AIFA. The second involves the distribution of flight slots at the AICM.
President Sheinbaum mounted a strong defense of the cargo decree, framing it as a "sovereign decision" taken for "civil protection" and "security reasons".
"The International Airport of Mexico City [AICM] was very saturated," Sheinbaum stated, noting this saturation "posed a risk" to passengers and users.
Contrary to suggestions that the move hurt business, Sheinbaum insisted that all dedicated cargo companies that relocated to AIFA, including U.S. firms, "are happy". "They have more space, there is more security... there is not a single complaint from any company," she said, adding that all are "very content" with the new operations.
In response to the U.S. DOT's publication, Sheinbaum said she has already asked her foreign minister to communicate with the U.S. Department of State to request a meeting with the U.S. Secretary of Transportation. The goal, she said, is "to review if these actions... have any foundation".
Sheinbaum also speculated on other potential motives for the U.S. action, telling reporters, "Let's hope it's not... that there is an interest of another type". When pressed, she elaborated: "Well, it could be a political interest, it could be an interest in supporting some companies over others, even U.S. ones".
To counter U.S. claims that the move violates competition, the president has asked Andrea Marván of Mexico's National Antimonopoly Commission to analyze if competition is truly being affected, a claim Sheinbaum's administration denies.
The president adopted a firm diplomatic tone, stating, "Mexico is not anyone's piñata. Mexico is respected". She highlighted a "good understanding" with the U.S. administration, mentioning a "very good" call with President Trump on Saturday that resulted in the cancellation of planned tariffs.
When asked to clarify the status of flights, Sheinbaum confirmed the U.S. measure currently applies to new flights—one of which was scheduled to begin operations today—but warned the U.S. "want[s] to impose other sanctions later". Sheinbaum is scheduled to meet with Mexican airlines Aeroméxico, Viva, and Volaris this Friday to discuss their perspectives.
"What we want is respect," Sheinbaum concluded, "and that, in any case, we jointly analyze if... what they say has any foundation".
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