Cayman Airways says it is in dispute with Mexican authorities over unpaid fees dating back up to 15 years, which is preventing the carrier from flying over the country’s airspace.
The airline is in discussion with Mexico to resolve the problem, CEO Fabian Whorms said.
"Cayman Airways has found itself in a situation where the Mexican authorities have issued us invoices for overflights that took place 10 and 15 years ago. The records aren’t really there to justify it. We can’t find those records. It is not that we disbelieve it, but in this case, we are not the only airline experiencing this issue."
"The amount we owe is not that significant in the scheme of things, but it is significant enough for us not to just write a check. It is a point of principle; we have to work this out," Whorms said.
He said the issue was close to a resolution and it hasn’t affected any flight operations.
"As it stands right now we do not have any significant need to operate across Mexican airspace – it is not a factor for us at this moment in time. The situation is almost resolved."
Under Mexican rules pilots have to declare the distance they have flown within Mexican airspace, and work out the respective tax owed themselves.
"Many pilots are unaware of these requirements and have unknowingly incurred significant fees, penalties and interest which have resulted in denial of access to Mexico’s Flight Information Region," said Caribbean Sky Tours, a company which assists airlines and private pilots to work out the payments.
Whorms said the problem was a ‘big topic’ among airlines in the region after Mexico began to adopt a stricter enforcement policy since 2012.
