[Username Protected]

For those who did not receive our email blast from a few days ago......

The Mexican government has been the target of cyberattacks whereby several government servers were hacked. Amongst them were those of the Secretary of Communications, Infrastructure and Transportation (SCIT). Apparently, the server that handled the payments of licenses and permits was compromised. Consequently, the SCIT published in the Mexican Federal Register a decree whereby all applications for licenses and permits would be halted until December 31, 2022. Unfortunately, this has had a huge impact on aviation. Every time a foreign flagged aircraft enters Mexico, they must obtain either a Single-Entry permit (SEP) or Multiple-Entry Permit (MEP).

Contradicting what was published in the Mexican Federal Register, the Civil Aviation Authorities (AFAC) at the Mexican Airports of Entry (AOE) are still issuing SEP's and MEP's but they are not processing the payment for the permits. The AFAC is giving the pilots an "Hoja de Ayuda" (also known in Mexico as an e5) which is a government form with the necessary codes so that the pilot can go to a Mexican bank to pay for the permit themselves and then return to the AFAC office at the AOE and give it to the AFAC officials who will then issue a temporary receipt (a letter with a Mexican AFAC stamp). At some airports, the AFAC inspectors are accepting cash in lieu of the pilot having to go to the bank. HOWEVER, bear in mind that by law you MUST have the permit along with the receipt in your possession for your aircraft to be in Mexico legally. So, if you opt for forking over the cash, make sure they give this documentation to you, otherwise on your day of departure, or if you travel to another airport in Mexico and you are asked to present your entry permit, you may find yourself alone with only your charming smile to defend yourself and your aircraft.

This creates a number of issues for the arriving pilot:
> Mexican banks will not accept foreign currency, they only accept Mexican pesos
> What if they arrive on a weekend or holiday when the banks are closed? At a minimum this means you will have to waste more of your vacation time on a business day to complete this process.
> What happens if you fly to another Mexican airport? Will the authorities there accept the temporary receipt? In theory they should because they have followed the guidelines but.....
> What if the pilot wishes to make a "quick turn" and plans to depart immediately after dropping off passengers?

It is important to note that if you ALREADY have a MEP, then you should not have any issues since payment was already made and the permit continues to be valid until December 31, 2022. This stop gap measure for paying for entry permits has only been in place for a few days and may likely continue to evolve, further complicating procedures for arriving pilots. Pilots who normally self-handle may experience moderate to great inconvenience because of this.

Independently, experts in Mexico are predicting that this issue will extend beyond the December 31 deadline published in the Mexican Federal Register. Nothing official has been communicated but there have several articles in the local press in Mexico predicting this. If this turns out to be true then EVERYBODY will be affected as entries from January 01, 2023 onward must process new SEP's or MEP's. Please remember that if you are a holder of a MEP, those permits expire on December 31, 2022 and you MUST NOT let your aircraft be in Mexico without a valid permit. Getting a new permit on the morning of the 1'st will not count.

If any of you need additional information or assistance, please contact us at [email protected] or +1 786 206 6147. Our operations center is in Mexico so that staff here is well informed on this topic.

[Username Protected]

Any updates on GA flights (91) to Cancun? We are getting different answers.

[Username Protected]

Hi (Username Protected),

You should be able to pay for the permit through the FBO at Cancun (MMUN).

Be advised that we issued an email blast today regarding Cancun. The Merida Intl. Airport (MMMD) issued a NOTAM prohibiting overnight parking in MMMD until December 15. However, our local agents in MMUN and Cozumel (MMCZ) are telling us that they expect this NOTAM to be extended beyond the December 15 date AND that they expect similar NOTAMs to pop up for MMUN and MMCZ over the holiday period. I find the MMUN one hard to believe because there are so many places to park aircraft at that airport. However, ASUR, the airport operator, has openly demonstrated a strong deference to the airlines over General Aviation.