CAL queries Mexican airspace fees
Cayman Airways Boeing 737-300
(CNS Business): The CEO of Cayman Airways says there are no records to support claims by the Mexican authorities that Cayman owes hundreds of thousands of dollars in fees for flying through its airspace and that talks continue to resolve the problem. Fabian Whorms explained that CAL, like other airlines, has received invoices from Mexico for overflights ten and fifteen years ago but the local airline cannot find the paperwork to justify it.
“It’s not that we disbelieve it,” he said, noting that Cayman Airways was not the only airline to receive a bill from Mexico. “A lot of carriers got hit and it’s a big topic at airline conferences.”
Speaking at a press conference earlier this week held to announce the modernisation of the CAL Fleet (see video below), he said that the amount owed not significant in the grand scheme of things but it was large enough that the airline is not prepared to write a cheque without first getting to the bottom of the situation and justifying the need for the payments. Whorms did not confirm the figure but CNS understands from other sources it could be more than half a million dollars.
The outstanding debt is preventing CAL from flying over Mexican airspace until it is settled, though Whorms said this did not currently present the airline with any logistical issues. However, the situation was close to resolution, he said. Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell said that the management of CAL was dealing with the issue.
It appears according to information on the web (https://www.fltplan.com/mexicanoverflight.htm) that all airlines flying over Mexico have been subject to the fees but it was not until 2011 that the country began enforcing the tax but critics suggest that the details of how the fees are incurred and how and when they should be paid have not been made clear.
Category: Local Business, Transport
Sounds like lust another classic Mexican shakedown, Every time you go to Mexico, same type of thing always occurs to the turisist. Now, just pull up some old obscure nonsense to lay out some new fee/tax. They are just looking to suck all of the pesos out of anybody/government they can get, as usual. Advise, just put these Mexicanos on ignore.
I am voting for ‘The Donald’ because he will send the illegal aliens home to enjoy the Mexican airspace…
Island Air/CAL have run charter flights to Cancun. These have been historically infrequent, but they have happened.
Maybe, but there is plenty international airspace between Mexico and Cuba. You fly in it on United From Houston.
probably houston flight when they used to make that run. dont know about when they were forced to go around western cuba
So don’t fly over Mexico. Why would you anyway?