Some air charter operators flying small and midsize business jets into Mexico have been unable to receive blanket approval for multiple landings because their aircraft are not equipped with flight data recorders (FDRs). The FAA doesn’t require FDRs in these aircraft, but they are required by Mexico’s federal civil aviation agency (AFAC) regulations.
Over the past two years, Mexico has been cracking down on enforcing requirements for air charter aircraft “with 10 or more passenger seats, or an mtow of 12,500 pounds or more to be equipped with an FDR” to obtain blanket approval. According to the manager of regulatory services for trip support at World Fuel, the crackdown has even been applied to some operators that lack the required FDRs but have an AFAC air operator certificate and blanket permit under grandfathered agreements.
World Fuel is working with a U.S. charter operator that has two Bombardier Challenger 350s and eight Learjet 60s. World Fuel told AIN, “AFAC will issue the blanket permit with the two Challengers but will not grant the Lear 60s the permit since the Learjets do not have (and are not [FAA] required to have) an FDR.”
Representatives from World Fuel and other industry partners have been reaching out to AFAC officials to attempt to alleviate the problem. Meanwhile, operators whose aircraft are adversely affected by this regulation can apply for an exception to the AFAC FDR requirement. However, the process is laborious, time-consuming, and “not very viable for operators,” according to World Fuel.
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