AFAC’s Budget Is Cut

Members of the aviation sector have expressed their concern after learning of the 73.3% cut in the Federal Civil Aviation Agency’s (AFAC) budget for next year.

Both the Mexican Pilots' Association (CPAM) and the National Institute of Legal and Aeronautical Studies (INIJA), led by Pablo Casas-Lías, agreed that this is far from good news for the regulatory authority.

The Ministry of Finance and Public Credit (SHCP) submitted the 2027 Federal Expenditure Budget Proposal (PPEF) to the Chamber of Deputies, in which AFAC has been allocated a budget of US$10.3 million for the coming year.

This figure represents a 73.3% decrease compared to the US$38.6 million allocated for this fiscal year.

The announcement of the reduction came after the Mexican regulatory authority was accredited by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) a few weeks ago and the Mexican government made a commitment to increase the resources allocated to the AFAC.

In this context, Pablo Casas-Lías, a lawyer specializing in aviation matters, stated that when the General Directorate of Civil Aviation (DGAC) was downgraded by the FAA, the Mexican government had committed to upgrading the Directorate to an Agency, in addition to increasing its budget year after year.

According to the 2027 PPEF, 881,949,133 pesos will be allocated to Mexicana; 990,001,381 pesos will be allocated to Mexican Airspace Navigation Services (SENEAM); and 175,446,060 pesos will be allocated to the AFAC.