Regional Review: Mexico
and the Caribbean
PRESENTED BY:
Rick Ballew: Supervisor, Flight Operations Rockwell Collins
Eric Carson: Pilot, AT&T Flight Operations
Guy Gribble: General Manager, International Flight Resources
Rob Turpin: Supervisor, Flight Operations Rockwell Collins
International Operators Conference | Tampa, FL | March 17 – 20, 2014
Tuesday, March 18 | 8:15 a.m. – 9:45 a.m.
Operational Considerations
Mexico and The Caribbean
PRESENTED BY:
Rob Turpin
Supervisor , Flight Operations
Rockwell Collins
International Operators Conference | Tampa, FL | March 17 – 20, 2014
Tuesday 18 March 2014
General Operational Considerations:
• Mexican E- Apis is now required.
• Gateway Airports when coming from Central and South America
and the Caribbean
• SENEAM
• Landing permits
• Cabotage
• Customs procedures
Mexico
Mexico
• Implementation as of Dec 31, 2013.
• Transmitted UN / EDIFACT format
• Applies to all types of operations (Part 91, 135, 121, etc…)
• Non compliance penalty aprx USD $5,000
• Transmission timelines were written for scheduled commercial
operators
– Less than hour flight: When doors close
– Greater than hour flight: 30 minutes before departure
Mexico APIS
Mexican Operations
• General Aviation flights coming from Latin America or Caribbean,
into Mexican territory will be required to clear customs and
immigration at either:
• MMCZ: Cozumel International Airport
• MMTP: Tapachula Airport
• Clearance will take around one hour and after it, the aircraft will
be free to fly to any other Mexican airport.
• Military and diplomatic flights are exempted upon request
Entry Airports from Central + South America
Mexico
• Customs Declaration
– Carrying over $10,000 U.S. dollars (cash, collect documents checks,
purchase orders, etc.) or a combination.
– Must declare any animal or vegetable products. Recommend to
check ahead of time when bringing food products/gifts into Mexico
to ensure compliance with their agriculture and sanitary regulations.
– Allowed: Dry, cooked, packed and bottled foods – if they don’t come
from risk countries.
– From the USA and Canada: Refrigerated, frozen, vacuum packed,
pork and processed vacuum packed pate, milk, and cheese in
original containers and unopened.
Customs, Immigration, Quarantine (CIQ)
Mexico
• Crew members appearing on the General Declarations are only
allowed to de-plane with personal luggage. Sports equipment
(golf clubs, diving gear, tennis rackets) are not permitted. Pax
are not restricted.
• Crew members are only allowed to bring one electronic device
(ipad / laptop) Cell phones are not limited to this restriction.
CIQ, cont
Mexico
• Passport: required
• Visa: required
– Exemption: (pax) max stay up to 180 days for passport holders of
USA and Canada
– Exemption: (crew) not required for crew listed on the GENDEC and
holding crew identification
• Health: Vaccinations not required. Malaria risk in some rural
areas.
Passport, Visa, Health Requirements
Mexico
SENEAM fees are always incurred when operating within Mexican airspace; a calculation is used based on wingspan and great circle distance.
When landing, airspace use fees are included on the fuel bill.
Technically, overflights also require payment of navigational fees.
Two parts to satisfying the payment requirement:
– Reporting the overflight to SENEAM – Making a payment to DGAC
Contact your service provider or handler to ensure you are current with overflight payments.
SENEAM Airspace Use Fees
Mexico
• Mexico Airspace Navigation Services (SENEAM)
– 2012 law allowing the collection of Air Nav fees retrospect 2002.
• No prior notice is given – no public list
• May surface when ICOA flight plan is filed or when you contact
ATC approaching Mexico’s FIR
• May prevent entry or may not provide ATC services
Outstanding Air Nav Fees
Mexico
• Overflight: Part 91 does not require a permit. Part 135 requires making notification.
• Two types of Part 91 Landing Permits available:
– Single Use landing permit; suitable up to 3 ops per year. – Annual Multiple Entry Authorization; for greater than 3 ops per year.
• For Part 135 operators, single use is recommended for only 1 operation per year.
• Multiple operations require a Fleet Blanket permit.
• Permit is renewed annually; takes approximately 3+ months to obtain or revise (add aircraft).
• Handling agent in Mexico can assist with either permit.
Permit Requirements
Mexico
• Mexican Aircraft Liability Insurance
• Aircraft Registration
• Aircraft Airworthiness Certificate
• Pilots Licenses and Medical Certificates
Permits Requirements - Documents
Mexico
– SECURITY MANUAL – New Requirement for air charter operators (passengers, air ambulances, and cargo) to present a Security Manual against Acts of Unlawful Interference (in Spanish) per the ruling under Article 44 of their Civil Aviation Law.
– Required documents to draft for the Security Manual
• Company Logo in an electronic file
• Company address
• Airworthiness cert for each a/c
• For each a/c (weights, engine serial numbers, seat configurations, a/c serial number, year of manufacture)
• Company organization chart
• Name of Company Director
• Image showing hangar or facility location at home based airport
Permits, Cont…
Mexico
• Private Operators (Part 91)
– For a US company operating a US based aircraft privately, there are
no restrictions to/from or within Mexico
– Letter onboard stating status of pax and private non-revenue
• Fractionally Owned
– As long as the aircraft is not made publicly available for hire, charter,
or lease and the owner is onboard
– Proof of ownership or fractional ownership is onboard
• Non-Scheduled Charter Operators (Part 135)
– Only one Intl stop allowed. No domestic legs
– No additional (new) pax allowed
Cabotage
Mexico
• Cabotage Rules: Part 135 Traffic Stops
– Arrive MMSD, then fly to MMUN with the same pax. – Arrive MMSD with 3 pax, then depart MMSD with 5 different pax. – Arrive MMSD, fly empty to MMTO, depart MMTO with different
pax.
• Part 91 Operations Verification
– Ensure flight type is declared correctly. – DGAC is closely scrutinizing flight rules classification.
• Part 91 Cancun Letter
– Company letterhead – Schedule – All paperwork will reflect Part 91 operations
Cabotage in Mexico
Mexican Operations
• Entering Mexico all passengers need to fill out a Customs and
Immigration declaration:
CUSTOMS AND BORDER ISSUES
Mexican Operations
• Recent DGAC Requirement to get or update the AOC :
• Copy of the Twelve Five Security Program (Not available by TSA restriction)
• Option: To Elaborate in Spanish a Security program based on a DGAC (not suitable) template
• There will be a new General Aviation Fee at the Toluca Airport of 250 USD applicable to all aircraft
• Toluca is getting more crowded so departure timing should be considered
• Federal Tax at all border cities will increase from 11% to 16% starting January 1st. 2014
MMSD, MMCZ, MMUN, MMLP, MMLT, MMML, MMTJ, MMCS,
MMCM, MMMA, MMNL,MMPQ, MMRE
Recent Changes
Caribbean Operations
• General Operational Considerations
• CARICOM APIS
• Regional Highlights
• Permit Requirements
Subjects for review
CARICOM Community
• Member States
– Antiqua & Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica,
Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Lucia, St
Kitts & Nevis, St Vincent & the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad
& Tobago.
• Associate Members
– Anquilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands,
Turks & Caicos Islands.
Caribbean
• Transmissions go to the JRC (central headquarters).
• When an operator lands at one of the following locations and
there is an issue (visa) then the local customs/immigration will
call the JRC to confirm that a CARICOM APIS was transmitted.
• Trinidad & Tobago will always check for all arrivals.
• MILITARY AIRCRAFT ARE NOT REQUIRED TO SUBMIT
CARICOM EAPIS.
CARICOM APIS
Caribbean
• Only 11 of the 21 CARICOM COUNTRIES THAT REQUIRE APIS TRANSMISSIONS ARE:
CARICOM APIS
Antigua & Barbuda St. Kitts & Nevis
Dominica St. Lucia
St.. Vincent & Grenadines Grenada
Jamaica Guyana
Trinidad & Tobago Barbados
General Operational Considerations:
• Regulations Continuously Changing – Consult your Service
Provider.
• N-Registered Aircraft must obtain from the US government the
following two licenses:
– Temporary Sojourn license – This is for the aircraft. Issued by
the Department of Commerce- bureau of Industry and
Security. What this does is temporarily export the acft, and
re-imports it back to the US at a specified time.
– OFAC (Office of Foreign Assets Control) License. This is
issued by the Treasury department. It is required for the
passengers
Cuba
General Operational Considerations:
• Flights to/from Cuba to the U.S. requires U.S. State Department
approval, even for foreign operators.
• In order to go to Cuba, the Operator must fill out an application with
the treasury department. (Phone: 202-622-2480)
• Per U.S. Dept of State: the following categories of personnel and type
of flights are usually granted approval by the Dept of Treasury:
- Diplomats
- Journalists: Employed by a News reporting organization/
Broadcast or technical
- Scholars: Faculty, staff and students of accredited U.S. degree-
granting academic institution
- Humanitarian flights: to see families in Cuba
Cuba – Approved Reasons to Travel to Cuba
General Operational Considerations:
- Official Business: Through an authorized government
agency
- Religious: Under the auspices of a religious organization
located in the U.S.
• For U.S. registered aircraft landing in Cuba, the U.S. Dept of
State/Treasury and Commerce approval and coordination
required (temporary Sojourn License needed).
• Under current regulations, you may not enter Cuba as a tourist
in an N-Registered aircraft. All U.S. citizens are prohibited from
travelling to Cuba from anywhere in the world. U.S. registered
aircraft may not fly to Cuba from a third country per OFAC
regulations. (2011)
Cuba - Approved Reasons to Travel to Cuba
General Information
• For travel with only one or with neither parent.
• Mexico closely monitors to reduce / eliminate child abduction & trafficking.
• Best practice is to include a notarized letter authorizing the minor to travel without a parent(s), including the following:
– Who the minor is authorized to travel with
– Where (which locations) the minor is travelling to
– The dates for which travel is authorized
International Travel with Minors
Country Private Charter Documents* Note
Anguila N Y Yes
Antigua N N* Antigua treats all GA flights as Pvt.
Bahamas N Y Yes
Barbados N Y
British V.I. N N
Cayman Islands N Y Yes
Dominica N N
Dominican Rep. N Y Yes
Permit Requirements
Country Private Charter Documents Note
Jamaica N Y Y
Grenada N N
Guadeloupe N N
Martinique N N
Neth. Antilles N N
Puerto Rico N N
St Kitts & Nevis N N
St Lucia N N Pmt only for Scheduled acft
St Vincent &Grenadines
N N
Permit Requirements
Caribbean
Permit Requirements
• Typical Documents required -
• Airworthiness Certificate
• Registration
• Insurance Certificate
• Air Operator Certificate for Charter flights
Country Private Charter Documents* Notes
Trinidad & Tobago
N Y Y
US Virgin Island N N Customs and APIS for return to mainland.