Washington’s Department of Transport (DoT) has taken steps to withdraw antitrust immunity from the aviation alliance of SkyTeam members: Delta Air Lines and Aeroméxico. In a first reaction, Mexican policymakers speak of a “direct attack on the existing and long-proven trade partnership in the cross-border aviation market,” should DoT’s plans be executed and implemented in OCT25.

A state of shock, paralyzing management, is almost a belittling picture to describe the reaction of those responsible at Aeroméxico after DoT announced that it would execute its regulatory maneuver. Should the Delta-Aeroméxico alliance ultimately be crashed, the Mexican flag carrier’s business will be crippled, since the USA are its most important aviation market, both in passenger and cargo traffic.

Violating ATC accord
Market observers believe that Washington’s intended move is the latest step in a growing frustration over a series of actions by the Mexican government that, according to DoT, violate the spirit of the bilateral Air Transport Agreement signed in 2015. In blunt statements, Transportation Secretary, Sean P. Duffy asserted that the era of complacency is over, noting that the previous transportation administration “deliberately allowed Mexico to break our bilateral aviation agreement. That ends now.” The move catapults a dispute over airport slots and traffic rights on a geopolitical level, with the Delta-Aeroméxico alliance as the main target.
The Air Transport Convention of 2015 terminated decades of protectionism with governments defining which routes U.S. carriers and their Mexican peers are allowed to serve between both countries, how often they wish. Particularly in the case of Aeromèxico, the rulers in Ciudad de Mexico wanted to shield their flag carrier from the dominant competition of U.S. airlines, thus securing its survival.
This ended when the ATC was signed in 2015, eliminating state interference in the commercial decisions of airlines, leaving it up to the market to define fares and routing decisions. Since then, the time when traffic volumes between Mexico and the U.S. could be limited by governments, was over.

Slot cuts
But now Washington’s aviation watchdogs are accusing the Mexican side of repeatedly violating the ATC treaty by cutting movements at the country’s main gateway, Aeropuerto International Ciudad de Mexico (AICM), from 61 per hour to 52 and shortly after to 43. The traffic restrictions at the central airport were preceded by the opening of the Aeropuerto Internacional Felipe Ángeles (AIFA) on 21MAR22. It is located around 35 kilometers north of Mexico City’s city center. Mexico justified the cuts with “essential and urgent construction works” at AICM, to ensure safe operations. However, DoT qualifies this reason as an “excuse” and argues that, three years later, the promised infrastructure updates have not materialized and the measure was arbitrary.
The fact is that the slot cuts at AICM affected all airlines, including Mexican carriers, but it keeps benefitting Aeroméxico’s cargo business disproportionally since Aeroméxico is the only network carrier that was allowed to remain at AICM. All the others were forced by the country’s aviation authority to move their operations to the newly built AIFA. This fuels the U.S. view that, behind an appearance of fairness, lies an anti-competitive strategy, suspects Latin American aviation journal, Aviacionline, in a commentary.

Costly crash
The ball is now in the Palacio Nacional of Mexico’s, President, Claudia Sheinbaum, and her government to reach a diplomatic deal with their U.S. counterparts. For example, some of the slot cuts could be reversed or U.S. and other airlines be allowed to operate a certain number of flights via AICM again. At present, however, there is no sign of a friendly deal benefiting both sides. Should the Delta-Aeroméxico alliance be crushed, the consequences would be tough for both partners. Their partnership would be scaled back to a simple code-sharing concept, without the option of setting up a joint network, and forbidding them a coordinated price policy. It would have a negative impact on visitor spending on both sides of the border, harming the local economy and analysts forecast that it could cost 16,000 jobs in Mexico and 4,000 workplaces in the U.S., respectively.

The ongoing growth of the Gulf airlines is breathtaking. Their European competitors, once their role models, are meanwhile only seeing the tail fins of their competitors from the Middle East. Following the ascent of the industry leaders, Qatar Airways and Emirates, Etihad Airways (EY) now rallies to catch up in passenger and cargo traffic. This is evidenced by its network expansion and forthcoming fleet growth.

On the African continent, four new destinations are listed on Etihad’s flight program. These are Algiers (ALG), Addis Ababa (ADD), Tunis (TUN), and Al Alamein (DBB). Until the end of 2025, the Abu Dhabi-based carrier plans to increase its African frequencies from currently 39 flights per week to 57. This includes more flights on existing routes between Abu Dhabi (AUH) and Johannesburg (JNB), Nairobi (NBO), and Casablanca (CAS).

New destinations in northern Africa
And these are the specifics of the new services: EY already flies twice weekly to Al Alamein in Egypt, since 17JUL25. It operates an Airbus A320 on the route, thus expanding its presence on the Egyptian market.
Addis Ababa, a key destination for cargo shipments, is next in line with the first flight scheduled to land at Bole International Airport on 01OCT25. The AUH-ADD route will be operated in collaboration with Ethiopian Airlines, based on a codeshare agreement that allows seamless travel and freight carriage between the two carriers.
As of 01NOV25, EY will commence flying to the Tunisian capital, Tunis, operating an Airbus A321LR. According to the flight plan, this route will be available to travelers and cargo clients three times a week.
Right after, on 07NOV25, Etihad will kick off flights to Algiers, marking its entry into the Algerian passenger and cargo market. As in the case of Tunis, an Airbus A321LR will also be operated on the AUH-ALG route, connecting both cities four times a week.

The A321LR becomes the backbone of EY’s fleet
On Thursday (24JUL25), Etihad Airways received its first Airbus A321LR jetliner at the Airbus production plant in Hamburg, Germany. The UAE national carrier continues to aggressively grow its route network. On the occasion of the delivery, Benoît de Saint-Exupéry, Executive VP Sales of the Commercial Aircraft Unit, Airbus, stated that the A321LR paves the way for increased connectivity as Etihad expands its operations from its Abu Dhabi home base. “The delivery of Etihad’s first Airbus A321LR, on lease from AerCap, is a powerful symbol of innovation and partnership, strengthening the long-standing relationship between Airbus and the UAE,” the Airbus executive said.
During the event, Etihad officials unveiled plans to launch 27 new routes in a single year as part of the carrier’s ambitious growth trajectory. Its first A321LR will enter commercial service on 01AUG25, first serving Phuket, followed by flights to Algiers, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Copenhagen, Düsseldorf, Kolkata, Krabi, Krakow, Medan, Milan, Paris, Phnom Penh, Phuket, Tunis and Zurich.
“Receiving our first A321LR is an extraordinary moment for Etihad as we welcome an aircraft that changes everything we thought possible on a single-aisle plane. The A321LR enables us to serve more destinations with the same premium experience our guests expect across all cabins,” Antonoaldo Neves, CEO of Etihad Airways stated. He concluded his remarks by saying that “this new aircraft is going to shape the growth of the airline and is going to be the backbone of its ascent.” By 31DEC25, Etihad Airways plans to have taken delivery of nine more units of this Airbus variant. Another ten are to follow in 2026. And in 2027 and 2028, the Gulf airline intends to take delivery of five additional A321LRs each year.

Strength (and flexibility) in numbers – in this case, number of flights and destinations. Swiss WorldCargo announced this week that it has joined the transatlantic agreement that already existed between Lufthansa Cargo and United Cargo. The result, once it officially gets underway on 01AUG25, will be an attractive cargo network comprising a total of over 200 U.S. destinations connecting with Zurich in Switzerland in addition to the existing Frankfurt/Germany services.

The original United Cargo–Lufthansa Cargo joint business agreement(limited to standard cargo), was launched in 2018, after three years of negotiations. Since then, the two airlines have cooperated on sales, customer relations, product enlargements and network topics. That success will now be augmented with Swiss WorldCargo joining the fold and the trio focusing on delivering “even greater value to customers through enhanced connectivity, coordinated services, and a seamless cargo experience across the transatlantic network,” as the press release states. It emphasizes that all joint activities will be carried out in full compliance with all applicable laws such as European Union and United States competition regulations.

Important milestone
Alain Chisari, Head of Swiss WorldCargo, stated: “We are pleased to announce our participation in the joint business agreement between Lufthansa Cargo and United Cargo. This agreement marks an important milestone in strengthening our collaboration, broadening our global network, and offering our customers increased flexibility and connectivity. By joining this partnership, we reaffirm our commitment to delivering high-quality, reliable, and efficient air cargo solutions worldwide.”

Combining synergies
Ashwin Bhat, CEO of Lufthansa Cargo, commented: “The entry of Swiss WorldCargo into Lufthansa Cargo’s successful joint venture with United Cargo marks a significant milestone in enhancing collaboration and adding value for our customers. This expanded business agreement offers customers benefits especially of an even denser network and more seamless booking possibilities ensuring greater flexibility and reliability for their shipments. The combined synergies further enhance service quality and represent a step towards sustainable growth in a volatile and very competitive market for Lufthansa Cargo and its partners.”

Creating a seamless experience
Jan Krems, President United Cargo, concluded: “We are proud to welcome Swiss WorldCargo into our transatlantic joint venture with Lufthansa Cargo and United Cargo. This expanded collaboration brings together three premium carriers with complementary networks, operational expertise, and shared values. By coordinating schedules, aligning handling processes, and streamlining booking and tracking systems, we’re creating a more seamless experience for our customers – offering greater capacity, more consistent service, and improved access across key U.S. and European markets. This partnership strengthens our ability to meet growing demand and deliver smarter, more efficient solutions across the air cargo supply chain.”

More than a trio, in fact
The transatlantic cargo joint venture also includes the belly capacities of the passenger fleets of Brussels Airlines (IATA: SN) and Austrian Airlines (OS). That space is managed by Lufthansa Cargo, meaning that shipments transported by OS or SN fly under the Lufthansa Cargo code, Jan Paulin, Senior Manager Corporate Communication Lufthansa Cargo, confirmed to CargoForwarder Global. The same should soon also apply to the Italian ITA Airways, in which the Lufthansa Group has a 41% stake since mid-JAN25. Intensive talks are currently underway to integrate ITA’s freight activities into Lufthansa Cargo. If you include Brussels Airlines and Austrian Airlines, the new United Cargo, Lufthansa Cargo, SwissWorld Cargo trio, is in fact a quintet which is on the verge of becoming a sextet once ITA’s capacity is added.