Morena deputy Omar Castañeda presented an initiative that would allow the Armed Forces to obtain a concession to form a commercial airline and, at the same time, operate airports in the country.
In keeping with the announcement by the federal Executive that it is considering creating an airline company that is managed by the military, the deputy from Durango suggested that a parastatal company could have an airline and operate an airport, as would happen with AIFA, Tulum, Palenque and Chetumal.
The initiative would reform the Civil Aviation Law, in relation to commercial air concessions for the military, and the Airport Law, which currently establishes that airline concessionaires cannot be airport concessionaires or vice versa.
This would create an exceptional situation, since the military could have airports and airlines at the same time in the mentioned terminals.
In article 9 of the Civil Aviation Law, which mentions the requirements to obtain a concession to provide the public service of national air transport, it is proposed to open such a possibility to the military.
“Such a concession will only be granted to Mexican legal entities and parastatal companies, including the participation of military aircraft from the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of the Navy,” is proposed in the initiative, published in the Parliamentary Gazette.
Article 29 of the Airports Law eliminates the restrictions for the military to have an air transport concession and manage an airport at the same time.
Currently, said article states that, “in no case”, a group of concessionaires or permit holders of the air transport service, their controllers, subsidiaries or affiliates, may acquire directly or indirectly, through one or several operations of any nature, simultaneous or successive , control of an airport concession company.
“The restriction will not be applicable when the concessions of the air transport service and/or airport administration are granted to parastatal companies, including the participation of aircraft of the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of the Navy,” it is proposed to add.
In the initiative, deputy Castañeda argues that the concession for a parastatal or for aircraft of the Armed Forces will help Mexico to recover the air safety rating, which the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the United States reduced to category 2 in the 2021 in the International Aviation Safety Assessment Program (IASA).
“While Mexico is in Category 2 of the FAA, economic growth towards the United States will be affected, so competitiveness, economic, social, labor and tourism growth will have complications, not to mention the continuous irregularities in aeronautical operations.
“Because of the foregoing, it is essential to ensure that there is greater air traffic control in search of ensuring the efficiency and safety of both air operations and users. The implementation of new airport companies is an ideal alternative for the attention of the demand for air transportation, the development of economic and regional opportunities in the Country”, the initiative states.