Aeromexico has issued a statement announcing that it will not launch new services from Mexico City to Barcelona in November of this year, operated by its new Dreamliner aircraft, as intended. The airline cites unfair Fifth Freedom Rights application by Emirates in Spain as the cause of the cancelation. Spain had approved Emirates Fifth Freedom flights to Mexico City from Barcelona this March.
This is a sudden reversal of the state of things at the beginning of the week when news spread that Emirates’ authorization to fly from Dubai to Barcelona and on to Mexico City had been refused by Mexico’s transport secretary. Reports in the Spanish and Mexican aviation press attributed the secretary’s decision to Aeromexico’s plans to re-launch service to Barcelona later this year. The Mexican carrier had previously shut down its Mexico City to Barcelona route in 2012. Emirates had no comment on the matter.
A recent understanding reached between the United Arab Emirates and the U.S., to resolve this long-running subsidies debate, was hailed by U.S. airline groups as a success on the part of President Donald Trump in protecting U.S. airlines and their employees.
However, the parties differed in their interpretation of what was achieved. When contacted, an Emirates spokesperson said,"there is no freeze on any of the operating rights prescribed in the Air Transport Agreement or any tacit undertakings to do so.»
This was in sharp contrast with the conclusions reached by U.S. groups. A statement issued by the White House Press Secretary today seeks to clarify the terms.
The United States and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have reached an understanding related to the United State"“UAE Open Skies agreement that will benefit pilots, flight attendants, machinists, and other working men and women in America"™s airline industry. In the newly negotiated understanding, it was recognized that government subsidies undermine healthy and fair competition. The UAE has committed to financial transparency and will adhere to internationally-recognized accounting, disclosure, compliance, and auditing standards to make its practices more open and subject to public view and scrutiny. Lastly, the UAE informed the United States that its air carriers have no current plans to begin any new commercial "Fifth Freedom" flight routes, which are of particular concern to the U.S. carriers. The understanding mirrors the one made with Qatar earlier this year…
