Canada & Mexico To Open More Direct Routes

The Toronto Star is reporting that Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper is in Mexico City with a plan to open up more direct airline routes between Canada and Mexico. 

Sergio Alcocer Martinez, Mexico’s undersecretary for North America, said "the new air agreement would greatly expand the current one between the two countries, which is more than 50 years old. It would allow more direct Mexican flights to Canadian cities, beyond the current routes to Montreal and Toronto."

For Mexico to give greater access to Canadian Airlines, the Mexicans are going to want something in return. That something is the lifting of requirement that Mexicans get a visa for entry into Canada. The visa requirement was added in 2009 to combat an increase in "bogus asylum seekers."

The lack of direct flights from Mexico to Canada was a shock to me. A few months ago, I was trying to connect a trip from Mexico City to a visit with a friend in Calgary. However, there are no direct flights between the two. My only option was to do a connection in Dallas, Phoenix or Vancouver etc.:

Each of these trips take 8+ hours or a full business day. 

Carlo Dade, director of the Centre for Trade and Investment Policy at the Canada West Foundation put it correctly.  “If I have to make two connections to get down to Mexico, am I really going to do that deal? Am I going to open a plant? Am I going to schedule business meetings? It’s a pain and has an impact on business.”

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