Mexico Secures Record MX$1.4 Billion Budget for Civil Aviation Agency AFAC, Up 56%
Why It MattersStronger regulator funding during an FAA Category 1 review signals how closely Mexico's market access and cross-border aviation links now depend on rebuilding its oversight capacity.
Mexico's Federal Civil Aviation Agency (AFAC) is set to receive a record budget of MX$1.4 billion (US$76.03 million) for the upcoming fiscal year, a 56% increase over its 2025 allocation and the largest funding package in the agency's history. Jesús Esteva, head of the Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation (SICT), announced the funding at the 22nd Annual General Assembly and Airline Leaders Forum hosted by the Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA). The commitment was secured through the Ministry of Finance (SHCP).
The increase comes while the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) evaluates Mexico's civil aviation oversight. The audit has reached its second phase, with 21 technical and administrative areas requiring corrective action. The final result is expected in December and will determine whether Mexico keeps its Category 1 status or is downgraded to Category 2 under International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) standards. After the forum, Esteva said he held bilateral talks with the US Ambassador to Mexico and the FAA's Brian Bedford.
Esteva said AFAC plans to add more than 200 new aviation professionals by the end of the administration, 100 of them in 2026, and that by 2027 it will have almost quadrupled its number of inspectors compared with 2024. SENEAM, the Air Navigation Services in the Mexican Airspace, will also receive an increased budget, with figures to be disclosed later. Citing IATA indices, Esteva said Mexico registered 1.09 accidents per million flights in 2025, 49% below the average across all regions. He added that the SICT plans to publish the Mexican Aeronautical Policy 2026–2040 in the coming weeks, the first comprehensive strategy update in 25 years.
