Mexico outlines measures to expand state control of the skies
FILE PHOTO: The Felipe Carrillo Puerto International Airport is pictured on the day of its inauguration, in Tulum, Mexico, December 1, 2023. REUTERS/Quetzalli Nicte-Ha/File Photo
MEXICO CITY - Mexican officials on Tuesday outlined goals for even greater state and military control over the nation's aviation network, including increased subsidies and investments to boost long-neglected regional airports.
President Claudia Sheinbaum has doubled down on the strategy of her predecessor and mentor, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who handed over control of many public airports to the military and revived bankrupt airline Mexicana.
David Sandoval, deputy director of military-run airport operator Grupo Mundo Maya, said both federal and state governments are rolling out incentives on services ranging from landing and parking fees to checked baggage. He cited the recently opened Tulum international airport as a "cherry on top" success.
The airport is already drawing traffic from the nearby vacation hub Cancun, operated by ASUR, analysts have said. Military-run airports also face lower usage tariffs than their peers.
The military has been tasked with boosting traffic at older, unprofitable regional airports.
Eric Mario Barrera, technical corporate director of military-run Mexico City Airport Group, said they are battling to overhaul infrastructure while seeking airline interest. He noted airports like Guaymas in Sonora have been "a little bit of a headache" due to low traffic and neglected facilities.
Lopez Obrador launched a massive expansion of Guaymas' port before leaving office, aiming to turn the town into an export hub.
Raul Revuelta, CEO of airport operator GAP, said many regional airports fail to break even without subsidies, needing about a million passengers annually to profit.
While officials insisted profit was a priority, they also cited a social mandate to serve locations private operators and airlines failed to reach.
Sheinbaum last week, at a ceremony to receive Mexicana's first jet in an order of 20 from planemaker Embraer, said the airline was "by and for the people" and would "fly wherever you are."
When relaunched in 2023, Mexicana was estimated to operate in the red for nearly a decade, government forecasts showed.
The administration is also weighing more public-private partnerships, following signs of success from a joint venture with Mota Engil at airports in beach towns Tepic and Puerto Escondido, said Carlos Merino, head of state-run Airports and Auxiliary Services. REUTERS
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
19 minutes ago
- Straits Times
WEF clears founder Schwab of wrongdoing; appoints interim co-chairs
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox World Economic Forum founder Klaus Schwab (centre) and his wife Hilde (right) at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Jan 24, 2014. The World Economic Forum closed an investigation on its founder Klaus Schwab on Aug 15, clearing him of any wrongdoing, and appointed BlackRock CEO Larry Fink and Roche Holding's vice-chair Andre Hoffmann as interim co-chairs of its board. The Geneva-based organisation had launched an investigation in April into 87-year-old Schwab following a whistleblower letter alleging misconduct. The probe was announced a day after Mr Schwab resigned as chairman. The forum at that time did not say why he was quitting. For decades, he has been the face of the WEF's annual gathering of business and political leaders in the Swiss mountain resort of Davos, which has become a symbol of globalisation. The WEF said on Aug 15 that its board had completed an investigation into allegations raised by anonymous whistleblowers against Mr Schwab and found there was no evidence of material wrongdoing by him. WEF also did not find any misconduct by his wife and former assistant Hilde Schwab. 'Minor irregularities, stemming from blurred lines between personal contributions and forum operations, reflect deep commitment rather than intent of misconduct,' WEF said. The Wall Street Journal, which first reported the probe in April, had said an anonymous letter raised concerns about the WEF's governance and workplace culture, including allegations that the Schwab family mixed their personal affairs with the forum's resources without proper oversight. In May, a spokesperson for Mr Schwab informed Reuters that he had filed a criminal complaint against the whistleblowers. The Schwab family denied all the allegations in the whistleblower complaint to the Journal. Following the conclusion of the probe, a spokesman for Mr Schwab told WSJ on Aug 15 that he intends to drop his lawsuit against the WEF and a separate legal action against anonymous whistleblowers. The WEF also said Peter Brabeck-Letmathe had stepped down as interim chairman following the investigation's conclusion. In a statement posted on the WEF website, newly appointed co-chairs Fink and Hoffman said they were honored to take on the leadership role on an interim basis and looked forward to reinventing and strengthening the organisation. WEF's Davos gathering has in recent years drawn criticism from opponents on both left and right as an elitist talking shop detached from lives of ordinary people. REUTERS
AsiaOne
19 minutes ago
- AsiaOne
Chinese diplomat appears at Beijing event after Reuters report of questioning, China News
BEIJING — A Chinese diplomat, who Reuters reported had been taken for questioning by Chinese authorities, appeared at a diplomatic event in Beijing on Friday (Aug 15) evening. Sun Haiyan, a senior Chinese diplomat and former ambassador to Singapore, appeared as a guest at an event organised by India's embassy in Beijing. In response to a question from Reuters at the event, Sun did not comment directly on whether authorities had detained or questioned her, saying, "Well, I'm here." She called the Reuters report "irresponsible". Reuters had reported on Friday that Sun had been taken for questioning by authorities earlier this month, citing three people with knowledge of the matter, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter. Reuters could not determine the matters the questioning related to. Chinese authorities questioned Sun around the same time they questioned Liu Jianchao, widely seen as a potential foreign minister candidate, two of the three people with knowledge told Reuters. Liu's questioning by authorities was first reported by the Wall Street Journal and then by Reuters on Monday. Liu, 61, could not be reached for comment. Reuters could not establish if Liu was still being detained. China's State Council Information Office, which handles media queries for the government, and the International Department did not respond to Reuters requests for comment on Friday. Reuters renewed the request for comment to both agencies after Sun's appearance on Friday. Neither agency had an immediate response. Reuters had reported none of the three sources who requested anonymity in discussing Sun's questioning knew the basis of the questioning of either diplomat. Profiles of both Liu and Sun remain on the International Department's website. The detention of Liu marked the highest-level disappearance of a diplomat since China ousted its former foreign minister and President Xi Jinping's protege, Qin Gang, in 2023, following an unexplained public absence. Liu's detention followed a work trip to Singapore, South Africa and Algeria. His house was searched in early August, Reuters has reported. Sun's last public appearance was on Aug 1, when she attended a reception hosted by Nepal's embassy in Beijing. Sun, 53, is the first woman to serve as a deputy head of the Communist Party's International Department. In that role, she serves as Liu's deputy. Sun was China's ambassador to Singapore between May 2022 and July 2023. She joined the International Department in 1997, where she served in a wide range of roles, including spokesperson and head of the bureau responsible for ties with Southeast Asian countries. She also served as a district Party Committee official in the city of Zibo, Shandong province, in 2008. [[nid:721180]]
AsiaOne
19 minutes ago
- AsiaOne
Israel in talks to resettle Gaza Palestinians in South Sudan, sources say, World News
NAIROBI — South Sudan and Israel are discussing a deal to resettle Palestinians from war-torn Gaza in the troubled African nation, three sources told Reuters — a plan quickly dismissed as unacceptable by Palestinian leaders. The sources, who have knowledge of the matter but spoke on condition of anonymity, said no agreement had been reached but talks between South Sudan and Israel were ongoing. The plan, if carried further, would envisage people moving from an enclave shattered by almost two years of war with Israel to a nation in the heart of Africa riven by years of political and ethnically-driven violence. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office and Israel's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the information from the three sources. A spokesperson for the US State Department said, "we do not speak to private diplomatic conversations", when asked about the plan and if the United States supported the idea. Netanyahu said this month he intends to extend military control in Gaza, and this week repeated suggestions that Palestinians should leave the territory voluntarily. Arab and world leaders have rejected the idea of moving Gaza's population to any country. Palestinians say that would be like another "Nakba" (catastrophe) when hundreds of thousands fled or were forced out during the Arab-Israeli war of 1948. The three sources said the prospect of resettling Palestinians in South Sudan was raised during meetings between Israeli officials and South Sudanese Foreign Minister Monday Semaya Kumba when he visited the country last month. Their account appeared to contradict South Sudan's foreign ministry which on Wednesday (Aug 13) dismissed earlier reports on the plan as "baseless". The ministry was not immediately available to respond to the sources' assertions on Friday. News of the discussions was first reported by the Associated Press on Tuesday, citing six people with knowledge of the matter. Wasel Abu Youssef, a member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organisation, said the Palestinian leadership and people "reject any plan or idea to displace any of our people to South Sudan or to any other place". His statement echoed a statement from the office of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday. Hamas, which is fighting Israel in Gaza, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel, who visited the South Sudanese capital Juba this week, told reporters that those discussions had not focussed on relocation. "This is not what the discussions were about," she said when asked if any such plan had been discussed. "The discussions were about foreign policy, about multilateral organisations, about the humanitarian crisis, the real humanitarian crisis happening in South Sudan, and about the war," she said, referring to her talks with Juba officials. Netanyahu, who met Kumba last month, has said Israel is in touch with a few countries to find a destination for Palestinians who want to leave Gaza. He has consistently declined to provide further details. [[nid:721380]]
