Aeromexico’s Pilots Just Moved Their Strike to November

A strike that could have grounded Mexico’s flag carrier at the start of October has been pushed back. The pilots’ union, the Asociación Sindical de Pilotos Aviadores, known as ASPA, had set its walkout for the first minute of Thursday, October 1. On September 29 the union’s general assembly rejected Aeromexico’s latest contract proposal, but instead of striking it agreed to request an extension. The new deadline is November 12, giving both sides up to 45 more days to negotiate.

ASPA represents about 1,632 Aeromexico captains and has said a pay offer of around 3.2 percent was not enough. The union frames the talks around four pillars: working hours and rest periods, salary, benefits and social provisions. It also wants restoration of contract terms that were changed during the pandemic, arguing that captains have lost roughly 11 percent of their purchasing power since then. The union says it wants a complete proposal that it can put to a vote of its members.

Aeromexico says its operations are continuing as normal and that it remains committed to a deal that keeps pilot pay and conditions among the most attractive in Mexican aviation. For travelers, that means flights in October should operate as scheduled. The airline is a major player between Mexico and the United States, and its joint venture with Delta means many U.S. passengers end up on Aeromexico-operated flights without having chosen the airline directly.

The new deadline falls in mid-November, ahead of the holidays and the peak season for Mexican beach destinations. If you are booked on Aeromexico around November 12, or on a Delta codeshare operated by Aeromexico, watch for updates as the date approaches. Choose changeable fares where the price difference is small, and bear in mind that strike deadlines in Mexican aviation are often extended again rather than carried out, so a postponement is not the same as a settlement.

Sources: La Silla Rota, Deep Arrival