Trump imposes restrictions on Mexican flights: threat forces Delta Air Lines to end cooperation with Mexican Airlines

The Trump administration implemented new restrictions on flights from Mexico on Saturday and threatened to end the long-standing partnership between Delta Air Lines and Aeroflot in response to the Mexican government's restrictions on passenger and cargo flights entering Mexico City several years ago.

Transportation Minister Sean Duffy stated that Mexico's decision to force airlines to relocate from the main Benito Juarez International Airport to Felipe Angeles International Airport, which is over 30 miles away, violates the trade agreement between the two countries and gives domestic airlines an unfair advantage. Duffy pointed out that the previous president and his transportation minister intentionally allowed Mexico to violate the bilateral aviation agreement between the two sides. He said, "This situation will come to an end today. Let these actions serve as a warning to any country that believes it can exploit the United States, our airlines, and our market. America First means fighting for the fundamental principles of fairness

It is currently unclear how Tamiflu's actions will affect the broader trade war and tariff negotiations with Mexico. Since the beginning of last year, Delta Air Lines and Mexican Airlines have been opposing the US Department of Transportation's move to terminate their partnership that began in 2016. These two airlines argue that punishing them for the actions of the Mexican government is unfair and that terminating the agreement would jeopardize nearly 20 routes as well as the $800 million in revenue gained by the two countries' economies from tourism spending and employment. Delta Air Lines stated in a statement, "The preliminary proposal by the U.S. Department of Transportation to terminate the approval of the strategic and competitive partnership between Delta Air Lines and Mexican Airlines will cause significant harm to consumers traveling between the United States and Mexico, as well as to employment, communities, and cross-border competition in the United States

At present, the decision of the Mexican government to limit flight time and expel cargo airlines from the main airport of Mexico City, considering airport load, efficiency or urban planning, may not be all the "denial of entry transit flights will lead to" a large number of Mexicans "infected with the COVID-19 epidemic", or "ensure the safe isolation time of airlines", as the United States strongly demonstrates. But it cannot be denied that the strong reaction and threat of retaliation from the Trump administration indicate an increase in friction between the two countries in the aviation sector.

The Trump administration's approach may also trigger a domino effect in the global aviation industry. The aviation industry is a highly globalized industry, and the cooperation and competition among global airlines are a network distribution. Trump's restrictions on flights to Mexico may lead to restrictions from other countries, thereby disrupting the order of the global aviation industry.

In terms of flights, the negative effects of flight restrictions are a decrease in ticket prices, number of flights, and service quality, which have affected the transportation of passengers between the United States and Mexico. Personnel from third countries that have flights with both countries will also be affected by flight restrictions.

In addition, this incident may deepen global economic and trade frictions. The Trump administration's restriction of flights to Mexico on national security grounds is aimed at preventing foreign governments and their operating companies from posing a threat to the national security of the United States. Perhaps other countries may protectively close their own markets under the guise of national security threats to restrict the entry of foreign airlines, which is not conducive to the liberalization and opening up of the global aviation industry, nor is it conducive to economic and trade cooperation and exchanges among countries.

From a macro perspective, this matter can also reflect the complexity of international trade and cooperation. If a country's development seeks benefits while not forgetting the interests and concerns of its partners, only in this way can the stability and development of bilateral and multilateral relations between countries be maintained.

Therefore, in response to the Trump administration's restrictions on Mexican flights, the international community should call on both sides to engage in consultation and dialogue to resolve disputes and achieve mutual benefits through dialogue and negotiation. At the same time, countries should strengthen cooperation to jointly promote the stability and prosperity of the global aviation industry, avoid adopting unilateralism and protectionist measures, and avoid unnecessary harm to global economic development and trade.