Mexico Tightens Airport Slot Rules as Congestion Persists in 2025

(Mexico City) Mexico has imposed its toughest rules yet on airport slots at Mexico City International Airport, known as AICM, cutting available operations and reshaping how airlines plan their schedules, share access, and report performance.

As of March 2025, the government reduced permitted operations at AICM from 52 to 43 flights per day — a cut of nearly 17% — with the goal of easing long delays and crowding that have troubled the capital’s main hub for years. The change arrives alongside a new Digital Slot Management System, updated compliance rules that mirror global standards, and a push for greater transparency. Mexican authorities say these moves will bring order to one of Latin America’s most complex airfields while opening more room for domestic competition.

Industry reaction and timetable impacts

Airlines are rebuilding timetables and rethinking strategies to keep their most valuable airport slots at Mexico City.

• The capacity cut means fewer peak-time options and tighter connections for passengers.
• Priority now goes to carriers that meet higher on-time targets.
• Industry groups, including IATA, have criticized the depth and timing of the reductions and questioned whether these measures alone can solve AICM’s structural constraints.

Mexican regulators counter that safety and reliability come first, and that clearer rules and independent oversight will deliver fairer access across the season.

Key rules in the 2025 framework

Under the 2025 framework, Mexico aligned utilization rules with the international 80/20 standard and introduced other important changes:

• Usage threshold: Airlines must now use at least 80% of their assigned slot series during a season to keep historic (“grandfather”) rights. Previously the threshold was 85%.
• Broader misuse definitions: Misuse now includes cancellations, repeated off-schedule operations, major deviations from assigned times, and unauthorized changes of aircraft type or route.
• Penalties: Range from losing historic precedence to the withdrawal of an entire slot series.
• Transparency: A separate, independent slot coordinator will oversee congested airports and public disclosure is required for slot assignments and histories.
• Reporting: Monthly compliance reports and real-time availability for ad-hoc slots must be published.

“Sunlight will deter gamesmanship and reward those who run tight, honest operations,” regulators say.

Punctuality and allocation priorities

Punctuality is central to allocation decisions:

• Carriers achieving at least 85% on-time performance get priority during allocation.
• Airlines below this mark may receive fewer or less desirable slots.
• Regulators argue this will reward reliability and reduce delay ripple effects across the network.

For travelers, this could mean more predictable departure and arrival times, even as total flight choices shrink.

Slot sharing and domestic competition

A key competitive element of the package:

• A 2025 requirement obliges international carriers to share some of their slots with Mexican airlines.
• Officials frame this as a way to strengthen domestic players that were often shut out of prime hours.
• Details on exact numbers and timelines remain under review.

Possible market effects:

• Some routes may see fewer frequencies; others may get new entrants if Mexican airlines secure better times.
• On busy Mexico City–U.S. routes, reduced capacity could push fares up at peak times, while new competition at certain hours might lower fares in those windows.

The Digital Slot Management System

AICM’s Digital Slot Management System is rolling out through 2025 and is designed to:

• Deliver real-time monitoring of slot use.
• Reduce scheduling conflicts and give airlines clearer visibility into slot positions.
• Tighten control over daily flows and make compliance easier to track.

Skeptics note that software cannot solve physical constraints like high altitude, short separation windows in poor weather, and limited space. Regulators respond that better data and independent coordination can still improve daily rhythm even with those limits.

Historical context and prior measures

These moves follow years of friction over AICM’s role and capacity:

• In 2023, authorities lowered the hourly slot cap from 61 to 43 and ordered all-cargo operations moved to Felipe Ángeles International Airport (NLU).
• U.S. regulators and airlines protested, calling earlier changes arbitrary and disruptive.

The 2025 package formalizes the framework and keeps the overall cap tighter than many airlines would prefer.

Diplomatic and U.S.–Mexico tensions

There is a diplomatic dimension:

• The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has accused Mexico of unfair and non-transparent slot policies at AICM.
• The DOT has considered options such as revoking antitrust immunity for the Delta–Aeroméxico joint venture and increasing oversight of Mexican carriers’ access in the U.S. market.
• Mexican authorities signaled in August 2025 intent to restore some access for U.S. carriers at AICM, but details on timing and slot numbers remain uncertain.

Airlines on both sides watch closely for clarity to plan late 2025 and early 2026 timetables.

Passenger and market impacts

Immediate passenger effects:

• With the daily cap at 43 flights, airlines are trimming departures and moving others to less crowded hours.
• Expect fewer morning and late-evening options on some popular routes.
• Prices may rise where frequency falls, though new entrants could keep fares competitive on certain city pairs.

Benefits for passengers:

• The on-time push could reduce missed connections.
• If the digital system provides timely updates, last-minute changes may be communicated faster.

Opportunities for new entrants and low-cost carriers

• Transparent rules and an independent coordinator could make previously hard-to-reach slots visible and reclaimable.
• New entrants may gain access to slots and introduce lower fares on select routes.
• Legacy carriers face the challenge of maintaining sequences under the 80% usage and 85% on-time requirements.

Effects on cargo, business travel, and operations

• All-cargo flights moved to NLU; logistics firms must adjust truck routes and delivery timing.
• Business travelers may face fewer frequent shuttles and fuller flights.
• Airlines that serve multiple segments will likely prioritize highest-yield hours at AICM and shift lower-yield flights to off-peak or secondary airports.

Operational consequences:

• Stricter misuse definitions force tighter coordination among network planning, crew staffing, and maintenance.
• Unauthorized aircraft or route swaps and repeated late turns now risk penalties and lost historic rights.

Practical checklist for airline managers at AICM

Airlines effectively operate under four strict requirements:

1. Meet or exceed 80% usage of every slot series each season.
2. Maintain 85% on-time performance to keep allocation priority.
3. Avoid misuse: adhere to assigned times, approved aircraft, and approved routes.
4. File accurate data into the Digital Slot Management System and respond quickly to the coordinator.

Technical and safety rationale

Regulators argue the changes were necessary because AICM’s physical constraints amplify operational risk:

• The airport sits at roughly 7,300 feet above sea level, which lengthens takeoff rolls.
• Taxiways and gates are tight; arrival surges can back up the airfield.
• Independent oversight plus digital control are intended to keep the airport within a safe operating envelope.

Airlines counter that policy should be paired with airspace improvements and better regional flow management.

Formalization and publication

The government formalized the system on October 14, 2025, through new “General Bases for the assignment of landing and takeoff slots in airports under saturated conditions.” Those bases:

• Codify the 80/20 rule, misuse categories, independent coordination, and public reporting.
• Require monthly publication of compliance data and real-time ad-hoc slot information.

Limits of technology and ongoing debates

Industry groups caution that better systems cannot create physical capacity that doesn’t exist.

• IATA urges Mexico to follow global best practices while preserving room for growth.
• Risks include disrupted travel patterns, thinner business schedules, and cargo challenges.

Mexico’s stance remains that the 2025 blueprint protects safety and supports domestic growth — the slot-sharing mandate for international airlines is a central example.

Operational behavior changes

Under the stricter misuse definitions and reporting:

• Operations teams may prefer quick cancellations to avoid late departures that could count as violations.
• Maintenance planners, crew schedulers, and dispatch must align tightly to avoid unauthorized swaps.
• The operations control center becomes the nerve center to protect historic rights while keeping flights running.

What travelers should do

• Book earlier for peak times.
• Expect busier planes and possible schedule shifts as airlines fine-tune to meet 85% on-time.
• Watch for faster digital updates about last-minute changes if the system functions as intended.

Monitoring progress and what to watch next

• Season-by-season public reports will show whether access is widening or if incumbents hold prime times.
• Each compliance report and allocation round will be a fresh reading on whether the model delivers safety, fairness, and reliability.
• If delays fall and compliance holds, passengers may see steadier performance despite slimmer schedules. If not, debate will return to capacity, regional distribution, and bilateral relations.

According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, the 2025 framework packs tighter capacity, stricter performance standards, and a push for local competition into a capital-city hub. While airlines dislike cuts, consistent rules and an independent coordinator could rebuild trust if access decisions are clearly documented and published — a transparency that may prove crucial amid U.S.–Mexico market negotiations.

For official regulatory information and updates on slot allocation and compliance requirements, consult the Mexican Federal Civil Aviation Agency (AFAC). AFAC is the primary authority overseeing the new rules, independent coordination, and the publication of compliance data.