Delta Air Traces should finish its deep ties to Aeromexico by January, the Trump administration dominated Monday.
After a 20-month combat between the 2 airways and the U.S. and Mexican governments, the U.S. Division of Transportation stated it won’t permit the three way partnership between the 2 carriers to maneuver ahead.
Their three way partnership should finish by Jan. 1, in line with a ruling handed down by the DOT Monday, as first reported by Seth Miller at PaxEx.Aero.
The transfer may depart dozens of routes between the U.S. and Mexico Metropolis in jeopardy.
Delta and Aeromexico have been at odds with the U.S. authorities since January 2024, when the Biden administration first stated it could not renew the antitrust immunity that enables the 2 airways’ to coordinate on fares and flying schedules — ties that go properly past the carriers being SkyTeam alliance companions.
At situation: the DOT stated the federal government of Mexico has engaged anticompetitive ways at Mexico Metropolis’s Benito Juarez Worldwide Airport (MEX), blocking entry to different airways in favor of Mexico’s flag provider.
The airways had protested the choice, and warned unwinding the three way partnership would result in the shuttering of dozens of routes.
However after a prolonged evaluate, the DOT on Monday confirmed it could order the tip to the Delta-Aeromexico three way partnership efficient on Jan. 1, 2026, arguing the aggressive panorama in Mexico Metropolis has gotten worse — not higher — in latest months.
Delta and Aeromexico’s three way partnership dates again practically a decade, and has seen the 2 carriers broaden their cross-border flying between the U.S. and Mexico considerably.
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This 12 months, Aeromexico’s whole seats to and from the U.S. had been set to be up practically 33% in contrast with 2019, in line with knowledge from aviation analytics agency Cirium. That included a large growth earlier this 12 months.
Delta was on observe to develop its seats to Mexico by 17% versus six years in the past, per Cirium.
In a press release to TPG late Monday, Delta stated it was “disillusioned” by the DOT’s ruling, which it stated would trigger “important hurt to U.S. jobs, communities and customers touring between the U.S. and Mexico.”
It was not clear whether or not the carriers deliberate to file an enchantment.
In need of that, you’d seemingly see some degree of cooperation between the 2 carriers proceed underneath their alliance partnership, however it’s attainable — in line with previous filings by the airways — that the unwinding of their deeper tie-up may result in the tip of some routes.
Delta and Aeromexico have repeatedly argued their three way partnership was good for customers and connectivity between the U.S. and Mexico.
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