By Kylie Madry
MEXICO CITY New flight reductions at Mexico City International Airport (AICM) will take effect in November, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Thursday, sparking an outcry from the aviation sector.
The government earlier in the day ordered by decree that the busiest airport in Latin America cut flights to 43 per hour from 52.
Reuters first reported the planned cuts on Wednesday, citing an internal government document, and a planned meeting between airport officials and airline representatives on Thursday.
Lopez Obrador said in his regular press conference that airlines had been consulted. But the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said it rejected and questioned the government's "unilateral" decision.
"This decision by the government does not take into account the interests of consumers, nor does it respect the necessary consultative process with operators and users, especially at the country's main airport," Peter Cerda, IATA regional vice president, said in a statement.
Mexico's flagship carrier Aeromexico said in a statement the reductions would affect all passengers, workers and the attraction of new investments that depend on "legal certainty and adequate air connectivity."
The airline was awaiting details on how the cuts would be implemented and was analyzing their impact, its statement said.
Mexican air transportation industry group Canaero said in a statement the airport was capable of accommodating 61 flights per hour and that the new reductions would result in a "massive cancellation" of 1,000 flights weekly starting Oct. 29.
Mexico's decree requires the reductions to take place in the winter season, which IATA defines as the last Sunday of October to the last Saturday of March.
The cuts follow previous flight caps at the airport last year, as the government attempts to reduce saturation in the Mexican capital's airspace and divert more traffic to the newer Felipe Angeles International Airport (AIFA).
(Reporting by Raul Cortes and Kylie Madry; Writing by Cassandra Garrison and Isabel Woodford; Editing by Brendan O'Boyle and Jonathan Oatis)