Is my flight legal in Mexico?
A paid flight between two points in Mexico must be flown by a Mexican company holding a permit for non-scheduled air transport. Foreign operators and foreign private aircraft may not carry passengers on domestic legs.
- Regulator
- AFAC
- Domestic charter
- Mexican permit holders only
- Foreign operators
- No cabotage
- Private aircraft
- No commercial flights
Who may fly you
Inside Mexico, a Mexican company holding a permit for non-scheduled domestic air transport, in the air taxi or charter modality. The Ley de Aviación Civil grants those permits only to Mexican companies, and Article 17 Bis bans cabotage by foreign permit holders and by foreign owners of private aircraft. A foreign operator can fly you into or out of Mexico with an AFAC permit, but not between two Mexican cities.
The question to ask is simple: which company is the operator, and does it hold the right permit for this flight? In Mexico the answer also depends on where the aircraft comes from, because domestic legs are reserved for Mexican operators.
Every flight we arrange is flown by a certified operator named on your quote. Our broker disclosure explains our role, and our safety page explains how we check operators.
Sources:Cámara de Diputados: Ley de Aviación Civil, official consolidated text, last reform DOF 14 November 2025 (Articles 2, 9, 11, 18, 27 and 28)Ley de Aviación Civil, Article 17 Bis (cabotage), added DOF 20 May 2021 and reformed DOF 3 May 2023, consolidated text by mley.mx
AFAC and the permits for paid flights
The Agencia Federal de Aviación Civil (AFAC) is the civil aviation authority, a decentralised body of the Secretaría de Infraestructura, Comunicaciones y Transportes, under Article 2 of the Ley de Aviación Civil.
Article 11 lists the permits for non-scheduled domestic air transport, scheduled and non-scheduled international air transport, and air services to third parties. Permits for non-scheduled domestic transport are granted only to Mexican companies, and Article 18 says air transport between two or more points in Mexico is carried out by Mexican companies.
Article 5 of the regulations sets the modalities of non-scheduled domestic transport: air taxi, charter (fletamento), air ambulance and other non-scheduled services. A permit holder needs no fixed routes or timetables and may fly to and from any point in Mexico.
Sources:Cámara de Diputados: Ley de Aviación Civil, official consolidated text, last reform DOF 14 November 2025 (Articles 2, 9, 11, 18, 27 and 28)Reglamento de la Ley de Aviación Civil, Article 5 (non-scheduled domestic air transport and its modalities), consolidated text by mley.mx
Tell us the dates and passengers. A specialist replies with aircraft options and an all-in price, around the clock.
Why a foreign jet cannot fly you between Mexican cities
| Who | What the law says |
|---|---|
| Foreign permit holders | Cabotage in Mexico is prohibited (Article 17 Bis); foreign holders of third-party air service permits may not carry out cabotage either (Article 27) |
| Foreign owners of foreign private aircraft | Prohibited from cabotage (Article 17 Bis) |
| Mexican permit holders flying international air taxi or charter | Only they may carry passengers who boarded abroad between two or more points in Mexico (Article 17 Bis) |
| Private aircraft owners | Private flights are non-profit and need no permit, but owners may never provide commercial services to third parties (Article 28) |
In practice: a US jet can fly you from Houston to Monterrey, but a leg from Monterrey to Cancún has to be flown by a Mexican operator.
Sources:Ley de Aviación Civil, Article 17 Bis (cabotage), added DOF 20 May 2021 and reformed DOF 3 May 2023, consolidated text by mley.mxCámara de Diputados: Ley de Aviación Civil, official consolidated text, last reform DOF 14 November 2025 (Articles 2, 9, 11, 18, 27 and 28)
Foreign charter operators flying into Mexico
A trade guide from Universal Weather, dated October 2025, says single-entry landing permits for charter flights are no longer available at any Mexican airport. A foreign charter operator needs a blanket permit with AFAC validation of its air operator certificate, and only aircraft listed on that permit may fly.
The same guide gives at least 90 business days for a new or modified blanket permit, and at least 10 business days for other permit requests. A foreign operator that cannot show a blanket permit for the aircraft is a reason to ask questions.
Sources:Universal Weather and Aviation, 2 October 2025: Mexico permits 2025, business aviation guide
What a broker does, and does not do
A broker arranges a flight on your behalf with an operator that holds the permit. The broker does not fly the aircraft and is not the operator. The law ties paid carriage to the permit holder and forbids private owners from selling flights to third parties.
We act as broker. The operator's name and AFAC permit appear on your quote, and the operator is responsible for the flight, the crew and the aircraft.
How to check an operator
- 01Ask who the operator is
Get the full company name of the operator, which can differ from the brand or the seller.
- 02Ask for the AFAC permit
A Mexican operator holds an AFAC permit for non-scheduled air transport. Ask for its number and the aircraft it covers.
- 03Cross-check the permit
We did not find a public AFAC list of permit holders. Mexican operators flying to the United States file their AFAC permit and fleet in a US Department of Transportation docket, which is one way to cross-check.
- 04Check the legs
Any leg between two Mexican airports must be flown by a Mexican permit holder, not a foreign aircraft.
- 05Read the price
A charter is priced for the whole aircraft. A price far below other quotes is a reason to ask why.
Sources:Cámara de Diputados: Ley de Aviación Civil, official consolidated text, last reform DOF 14 November 2025 (Articles 2, 9, 11, 18, 27 and 28)Ley de Aviación Civil, Article 17 Bis (cabotage), added DOF 20 May 2021 and reformed DOF 3 May 2023, consolidated text by mley.mxUS Department of Transportation foreign air carrier dockets on regulations.gov, one per operator, showing the AFAC permit and fleet (linked from each operator page)
Questions, answered
Still deciding? A charter specialist will talk you through aircraft, airports and price, with no obligation.
Ask a specialistWho regulates private jet charter in Mexico?+
The Agencia Federal de Aviación Civil (AFAC), part of the Secretaría de Infraestructura, Comunicaciones y Transportes, under the Ley de Aviación Civil.
Can a US charter jet fly me from Cancún to Mexico City?+
No. Article 17 Bis of the Ley de Aviación Civil bans cabotage by foreign operators. A domestic leg has to be flown by a Mexican permit holder.
Can a private jet owner in Mexico charter out the aircraft?+
No. Article 28 says private flights are non-profit, and owners may never provide commercial services to third parties.
How do I check a Mexican operator's permit?+
Ask for the AFAC permit number and the aircraft it covers. For operators flying to the United States, the US DOT docket shows the AFAC permit and the fleet.
Fares, dates and rules on this page were checked on 19 October 2026. Official fares and schedules change every season; the operator or authority named in each source has the final word.
- 1.Cámara de Diputados: Ley de Aviación Civil, official consolidated text, last reform DOF 14 November 2025 (Articles 2, 9, 11, 18, 27 and 28)
- 2.Ley de Aviación Civil, Article 17 Bis (cabotage), added DOF 20 May 2021 and reformed DOF 3 May 2023, consolidated text by mley.mx
- 3.Reglamento de la Ley de Aviación Civil, Article 5 (non-scheduled domestic air transport and its modalities), consolidated text by mley.mx
- 4.Universal Weather and Aviation, 2 October 2025: Mexico permits 2025, business aviation guide
- 5.US Department of Transportation foreign air carrier dockets on regulations.gov, one per operator, showing the AFAC permit and fleet (linked from each operator page)
Fly with a named, permitted operator.
A specialist replies around the clock with aircraft options, the operator's name and an all-in price.