«When Mexico’s Airport Was Run By Narcos, US Granted Us Category 1», says Mexican President

In his usual morning press conferences, the President of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, harshly criticized the United States government for keeping his country under Category 2 in terms of aviation safety, to which it was downgraded in May 2021, even suggesting a collusion between drug traffickers and operators.

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«A few days ago, I was saying that in the United States they are very demanding, asking that the airport function very well so they can give us the ‘conduct letter’ they grant, I don’t know by whose mandate, whether by divine mandate, manifest destiny, I don’t know, so that the airport can be Category 2,» said Lopez Obrador.

He went further, saying that «during Calderón’s times (N. of the R.: Felipe Calderón, Mexico’s president between 2006 and 2012) the airport was run by drug traffickers and it had Category 1, but now that the airport is not managed by drug traffickers, but by the Navy, and thefts are avoided, luggage theft, smuggling of weapons, drugs is not allowed, they arbitrarily put us in Category 2,» he concluded.

López Obrador also detailed how during the trial of Genaro García Luna, former Secretary of Public Security of Mexico, information emerged that there was a code used by the staff of the Mexico City International Airport to «look the other way» for a certain period and take advantage to load and unload planes with drugs.

It’s not about divine mandate

The «International Aviation Safety Assessment» (IASA) program of the United States Federal Aviation Administration evaluates compliance with ICAO safety standards in other countries, not the regulations of the North American country.

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«An IASA Category 2 rating means the country either lacks laws or regulations necessary to oversee air carriers in accordance with minimum international standards for safety matters, such as technical expertise, trained personnel, record-keeping, or inspection procedures. A Category 2 rating permits carriers from a particular country to continue providing existing service to the United States, but they are not allowed to establish new routes,» the FAA explains.

See also: Category 2 Effect: American Airlines Adds Eleven New Routes to Mexico