We are happy to announce that we have been able to obtain from Mexico’s DGAC (Dirección General de Aeronaútica Civíl - Civil Aviation Authority) a clarification letter in both English and Spanish that clarifies once and for all what the insurance requirements are for private aircraft flying to Mexico. Obtaining this letter has been a major endeavor for us requiring numerous meetings with the DGAC in Mexico City and untold numbers of telephone calls and emails over the last 18 months. With the support of AOPA, we have been able to explain to Mexico’s DGAC how the conflicting information that exists in the industry was detrimental to Mexico’s civil aviation and tourism and how important it was to clarify this subject.
Over the years, many companies have been selling "special Mexican liability insurance" to US and Canadian pilots that they did not really need. Because of fear and the lack of clarity on this topic, some pilots purchased the special insurance thinking that they would err on the side of caution. Many pilots who bought this insurance did not realize that these policies only provided the bare minimum liability insurance required (less than US$ 300,000) and did not cover their hull at all. They also mistakenly believed that these policies would afford them some type of special protection in the event of an incident, however, those who read the clauses (in Spanish) quickly realized that this was not the fact.
We would like to thank Lic. Hector Gonzalez Weeks, Director General of Mexico’s DGAC and his staff for their support throughout this process and for having the wisdom and foresight to produce this document so that pilots will not mistakenly believe that they will have to pay for special insurance to fly to Mexico. Pilots should read the DGAC letter carefully to understand what is required and to ensure that their US or Canadian issued policies meet the Mexico requirements. If pilots have any doubts, they should contact Caribbean Sky Tours or the AOPA Insurance Agency. Caribbean Sky Tours Pilots association members planning on making a trip to Mexico can download the DGAC letter to print and take with them from the Mexico section of the Procedures and Forms page.
Your support as a Caribbean Sky Tours Pilot’s Association member has helped to make this achievement possible.
