José Neri Pérez Trujillo, head of the Unit for Planning and Linking Affairs of the Economic Competition Commission (Cofece), warned that allowing the Ministry of National Defense (sedena) administrar airports and operate an airline at the same time could lead to monopolistic practices.
During a forum organized by the United Commissions for Communications and Transportation and the Economy, Trade and Competitiveness of San Lázarothe official warned that one of the implications of approving the initiative sent by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador to the Lower House in December of last year is that the airline of the sedena reduce its costs for the charges for the use of the airport that it makes to its competitors, fees that the agency said can increase at any time.
You can read: Progress in initiative commissions for the Sedena to monitor and control the airspace
“There are risks to competition when an airline controls an airport, for example, what is called margin squeeze, which is when the company that owns the airport can increase or establish new rates for the use of that airport that leads transportation competitors to increase your tickets or reduce your profit margins (…) The charges you receive for the use of the infrastructure can reduce the costs of your air tickets in order to put pressure on competitors and reduce your profits”, he said.
Pérez Trujillo explained that approving the initiative can also cause a reduction in airport services, since the Sedena could assign its competitors “further waiting rooms, less office space or counters further away from passengers.”
Given the alerts, the official of the Cofece said that “it is suggested that the control of an airport by an airline is not allowed”, as currently specified in article 29 of the airport lawand if the initiative established in the wording prospers, the aviation parastatals will not be able to receive state aid or subsidies that allow them to compete in more favorable conditions than their competitors, since otherwise “the offer of routes could be reduced and flights by private airlines in the long term”.
Cabotage, which also contemplates the initiative to reform the Civil Aviation and Airport Lawswas another axis of the forum with positions against by different organizations such as the Union Association of Aviation Pilots of Mexico (Aspa) o to Confederation of Industrial Chambers (Concamin).
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today the president Lopez Obrador assured during his morning press conference that the cabotage “It has not yet been decided” and that it is being analyzed to open the Mexican skies to the foreign airlines to lower prices.
With information from Rafael Ramírez
