Photo: Deposit Photos

By KELIN DILLON

After Mexico’s airspace safety valuation was demoted by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) from a Category 1 to a Category 2 last May, leaving Mexican airlines expansion into the United States in limbo and hurting the country’s tourism revenue, Mexico has apparently done little to reverse the decision, now culminating in the Federal Civil Aviation Agency (AFAC) reportedly having failed to provide proper training courses for its aeronautical verifying inspectors — an integral piece in regaining a Xategory 1 designation.

More than 60 percent of the FAA’s discovered failures within Mexico’s aeronautics sector were training-related issues, though the nation has apparently done little to revamp this severely lacking area and safety concern, nor has it resolved basic salary thresholds for its verified inspectors.

The AFAC’s lack of concern or haste to resolve the problem will likely delay Mexico’s recategorization further, as the FAA is anticipated to decline promotion to Category 1 without proper training methodology implemented.

Mexico has until the end of December to fix issues pointed out by the FAA; as of August, it had only resolved 5 out of the 28 key issues, leaving much progress to be made.