An order by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), issued on October 28, 2025, has effectively canceled a planned nonstop flight route between Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) and Mexico City’s Felipe Ángeles International Airport (NLU). The affected route was a proposed service by the Mexican low-cost carrier Viva Aerobus, which was scheduled to launch in late November.
The U.S. government cited Mexico’s alleged violation of the 2015 U.S.-Mexico Air Transport Agreement and “ongoing anti-competitive behavior” for the decision. U.S. officials claim Mexico illegally froze and canceled U.S. carrier flights at Mexico City’s primary hub, Benito Juárez International Airport (MEX), while allowing its own carriers to expand into the U.S. market, thereby creating an unfair competitive environment.
The DOT order specifically prohibits Mexican airlines from operating “combination service” (flights transporting both passengers and cargo) between U.S. airports and the Felipe Ángeles International Airport. The decision impacts a total of 13 existing or planned routes by Mexican carriers (Aeroméxico, Volaris, and Viva Aerobus) to various U.S. airports, including in Texas, California, Florida, New York, and Illinois. The order also freezes any future growth of Mexican carriers’ combination services at Benito Juárez International Airport.
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