Nestor Jimenez
Newspaper La Jornada
Tuesday March 7, 2023, p. eleven
Within the framework of the discussion of the initiative sent by the federal Executive that reforms the Airport Law and the Civil Aviation Law, which contemplates the so-called cabotage, which would allow commercial operations of foreign airlines between destinations within the country, the Morenista deputy Emmanuel Reyes Carmona, opened the possibility of adjusting the proposal.
Together with Alejandra Pani Barragán (Morena), they offered organizations and unions in the aeronautical sector a space to discuss their concerns.
During a forum organized yesterday by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation in Mexico, Reyes Carmona announced that the three commissions to which the proposal was referred in San Lázaro plan to request an extension of the ruling process that will end on March 13, which would allow space to listen to organizations and companies, but with the intention that it be approved by the plenary session of the Chamber of Deputies before the end of the regular session, before April 30.
The concerns of companies and unions, he said, are legitimate due to the experience they have in the sector and there are examples of the consequences of cabotage in other countries. In addition, if the initiative transits the sector has to be convinced
.
After representatives of the Aviation Pilots Union Association (ASPA), the Association of Aviation Pilots of Mexico, and the International Federation of Transport Workers (ITF), spoke about cabotage, the deputy added that the truth is that it will have changes [la iniciativa] because it comes from the Executive
.
He affirmed that in the Fourth Transformation we are nationalists and we protect the sector, those at home, and it would be contradictory to favor an agenda that is not nationalist
.
Meanwhile, ASPA, the ITF and the College of Aviator Pilots reiterated that the reform does not guarantee the return of Mexico to category 1 aviation. José Humberto Gual, ASPA’s general secretary, added that cabotage puts 1.5 million direct jobs and 10 million indirect jobs at risk, as well as the eventual bankruptcy of Mexican airlines.
They urged to review the collection of the TUA that the airports charge and represents half the cost of the tickets to the users. They asked to regulate the airport groups, administrators of said resources.
