Member's Home Forums General Discussion Mexico Mexico Aeronautical & Regulatory Private Part 91 Customs/Immigration Fee's Leon, MX

Hello,

Our company operates a Citation Part 91 frequently into Leon, Mexico- MMLO. When landing or departing after 6pm local on an international flight, we are being charged a Customs/Immigration 'Overtime Fee' in the amount of $1,710.00 Pesos. I was under the impression that a Private (Non-Charter) operated aircraft was exempt from these overtime fee's for customs/immigration?

Thanks for the help!

Good day,

You are correct, this fee should not be charged to Part 91 flights. However, Immigration considers their work schedule to be that of their main office in Mexico City and this is why they apply the fee. We have had 4 meetings in Mexico City plus numerous teleconferences regarding this subject. We have involved the Director Generals from other Federal Agencies in our quest clarify this issue and to get this corrected. However, the bottom line is that the law says that this fee does not apply to private flights, regardless.

Wow, this is really frustrating! We fly into their around 2-3 times per month, so these fee's add up! Every time I show Immigration our multi-entrence permit proving we are a private flight, as well as the documentation from the DGAC that Private flights are not to pay the overtime fee's, yet they insist the fee's are for everyone regardless of the type of flight.

Any other suggestions in setting them straight, so that we don't have to pay these fee's we aren't supposed to?

We share your frustration and have communicated it to the Director General of Mexican Immigration since the beginning of last year. It is a rapidly growing problem across airports in Mexico and we faced it personally with our aircraft as well. We will continue to advise on the forum and our recommendations once we have exhausted another process that we are currently working on.