SICT expects Mexico to obtain category 1 in aviation in May 2023

The dispatcher of the Secretariat of Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation (SICT), Jorge Nuño, estimated that it will be in May 2023 when the Mexican aeronautical authority is in a position to once again have category 1 by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAAfor its acronym in English) of the United States and that national airlines can increase activity from the summer.

This Monday, in a radio interview, he offered details about the progress to date to return to the category in which Mexico was placed since May 2021. On his desk there is no plan B on the matter and has all his bet on the A.

Two months ago I took office and it was a pending issue. I gave myself the task of sitting down and seeing what was needed. There was some progress, but that was not the important thing, but going with the FAA and visualizing where we have to go with the advice we have with them. We could already see that we can have a positive corrective action plan to be finalized in December of this year”, he explained.

In the work plan presented on Friday in a meeting with the interim administrator of the FAABilly Nolen, there are three priority points:

1. Strengthen the agreement to create the Federal Civil Aviation Agency (AFAC).
2. Legislative modifications (of which there are no further details).
3. The corrective action plan in terms of operational air safety.

On the subject, information from the SICT states that among the critical points that must be resolved in the following weeks, the following stand out: allocation of human resources (additional positions) and financial resources (sufficient budget for the operation of the AFAC), training of current staff and new staff in the different areas, specialties and teams that operate in Mexico and the integration of Aviation Medicine to the AFAC.

In the schedule of activities of the also undersecretary of Infrastructure a visit from staff of the FAA to Mexico next January to evaluate the corrective action plan and set the date for the audit to begin and subsequently achieve recategorization.

—The audit would ideally be for March/April?

—”In February we would be ready. In January we met and we hope to start it in February.”

—How long do these audits take?

“About three or four weeks.”

With this information, a goal was set: Have everything resolved before the start of summer, so that the airlines can schedule their flights for that season.

“There are some procedures that must be done with the State Department. Once, between April or May, and the recategorization occurs, what we will ask is to expedite the documentation with other agencies of the US government to do it as quickly as possible, ”he added.

(With information from Alejandro de la Rosa.)

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