Mexican airlines recover market share against U.S. airlines

MEXICO - Mexican airlines are starting the year with a renewed outlook in terms of passenger transportation between Mexico and the United States, since they have regained market share, according to figures from the Federal Civil Aviation Agency (FAA).

In November 2023, the Mexican airlines, Volaris, Aeroméxico and VivaAerobús, reached 27.3 percent market share, up from 26.5 percent in May 2021, the month in which the authorities lost U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Category 1 status.

When the FAA downgraded Mexico's aviation authority due to deficiencies in the oversight of domestic aviation companies, the market share of Mexican airlines dropped to 21 percent in March 2022.

This was due to the fact that with this downgrading, Mexican companies were limited from operating new routes to connect any city in the country with the United States, as well as from opening more flight frequencies or operating flights with more modern or larger equipment.

In other words, Mexican airlines had to operate with the same infrastructure they had in May 2021 until they regained the category in September 2023.

During this period, and in the context of the recovery of commercial aviation after the pandemic, U.S. airlines increased their operations, passenger transportation and activities with Mexico.