Mayan Month: Russia and Mexico are looking for a way to resume direct flights

Russia and Mexico are discussing the possibility of resuming direct charter flights, Izvestia found out. Currently, up to 5,000 Russians visit the republic every month, which is significantly less than before 2022, when regular flights from Moscow to Cancun were operated. However, now the launch of flights depends not only on commercial benefits. The restrictions of the West and the attempts of the United States to strengthen its position in the region remain a serious obstacle. Russian cards have already been blocked in Mexico, and the resumption of direct flights threatens local firms with severe secondary sanctions.

Direct flights between Russia and Mexico

Direct flights between Russia and Mexico ceased on February 28, 2022. The reason was Western sanctions, the closure of airspace and the risk of seizure of leased aircraft abroad. The parties are currently discussing the launch of direct charter flights, the Mexican Embassy in Russia told Izvestia.

— In recent months, our representative office has held a number of negotiations with representatives of government authorities, the tourism industry, airlines and tour operators interested in considering various alternatives. All this is being done in order to facilitate the movement of travelers between our countries," the diplomats noted.

In December 2025, Mexican Ambassador Eduardo Villegas Mejias discussed the terms of launching direct flights with ten Russian tour operators, and in April 2026, the parties were working on buying tickets to Mexico in one click. Meanwhile, on July 30, a tourist event was held with the participation of a delegation from the city of Cancun.

In 2021, direct scheduled flights from Moscow to Cancun were operated through the airspace of Western countries and took about 13 hours. This resort was a key hub for Russian travelers due to its well-developed infrastructure and proximity to Mayan attractions, including Chichen Itza and underground lakes.

After the closure of the western sky for aviation from the Russian Federation, alternative bypass routes across the Atlantic or Africa would increase travel time to 18-20 hours. Such flights require an intermediate landing for refueling, which significantly increases the cost of tickets. Legal risks also complicate the situation.: A significant part of Russian long-haul airliners were under foreign lease, which is why there was a threat of their arrest at foreign airports.

"From a technical point of view, the organization of such transportation requires the creation of a commercially viable structure and obtaining appropriate permits from the competent aviation authorities,— the Mexican diplomats noted.

However, according to them, negotiations of this level have not yet begun. Nevertheless, the dialogue between the parties continues, and mutual interest in tourism is growing.

Even without direct flights, up to 5,000 Russians visit Mexico every month, and in 2021 the tourist flow exceeded 65,000 people, the Russian Union of Travel Industry (PCT) estimated. The Mexican Embassy stressed that they are ready to facilitate the resumption of flights. However, the final decision remains with the airlines: they will have to evaluate the commercial benefits of the route and obtain the approval of the authorities.

In addition to tourism, Mexico is interested in educational projects. The embassy notes the growing interest of Russian students and universities in exchange programs, Spanish language studies, internships and joint research. Latin American diplomats interact with leading universities of the Russian Federation, including Moscow State University, St. Petersburg State University, MGIMO, RUDN University and RANEPA.

"Mexico remains supportive of expanding academic mobility and encouraging more Russian students to participate in affordable competitive selections," the embassy added.

The agencies do not publish accurate statistics on the number of Russians studying in Mexico. It is known that, in total, about 73 thousand international students study in the country. Russian citizens most often come for short-term language internships from MGIMO, Moscow State University, and RUDN University, while they choose long-term programs in Latin American economics or Mayan history less often.

Education and tourism are the strategic foundations of bilateral relations. Oleg Yasinsky, a Latin American, considers the development of these areas to be critically important. He recalled that in 1924, Mexico became the first country in America to establish diplomatic relations with the USSR. Despite the pressure from the United States during the Cold War era, Mexico City remained a reliable partner of Moscow.

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Opposition from the United States

Due to Western sanctions, Russian bank cards do not work in Mexico, and payments through the SWIFT system are blocked. This does not allow local universities to accept payments from students from the Russian Federation or transfer grants to teachers. The situation is complicated by the fact that the leading Mexican universities are deeply integrated into the scientific environment of the United States and depend on American funds. They are unlikely to risk these ties for the sake of cooperation with Russia.

The resumption of flights is subject to technical and legal restrictions. Russian Ambassador to Mexico Nikolai Sofinsky earlier stressed that the main barrier remains the actions of third countries, primarily the United States, and the threat of secondary sanctions. Anastasia Gavrilova, a specialist in international relations at the Higher School of Economics, explained to Izvestia that contracts with American and European counterparties explicitly prohibit work with Russia. Since the Mexican fleet consists of internationally leased Boeing and Airbus airliners, cooperation with Moscow threatens local operators with the loss of insurance, maintenance and original spare parts.

Being blacklisted may result in Mexican carriers being blocked from making payments in dollars, freezing assets, and being disconnected from booking systems. The loss of the American market means critical losses for them, Gavrilova concluded. Washington also restricts transit routes: under pressure from the United States, Turkish Airlines massively removed Russian citizens from flights to Mexico City and Cancun from Istanbul. The White House requires strict border control from the Latin American republic, so the launch of direct charters from Moscow can be regarded by American intelligence agencies as a new channel of illegal migration for citizens of the CIS countries.

At the same time, Mexico City takes a principled position: the country has never joined the anti-Russian sanctions. According to Oleg Yasinsky, Mexico remains one of the key economic and political leaders in the region, so launching direct flights is of strategic importance for expanding Russia's presence in Latin America.

The Mexican leadership retains the political will to cooperate with Moscow, but in the second presidential term of Donald Trump, the implementation of these plans is facing severe pressure from Washington. The White House has consistently pushed out non—regional players from Latin America, using a wide range of economic threats, from the imposition of duties against Mexico City to an actual ban on the supply of Mexican oil to Cuba. At a time when the United States is demonstrating its willingness to harshly punish Latin American countries for any independent steps, the desire to avoid secondary sanctions forces the Mexican authorities to exercise extreme caution in resuming direct flights from Russia.