Mexican discount airline Avolar Aerolineas, S.A. de C.V. filed an amparo proceeding today against Mexico’s Ministry of Communications and Transportation (SCT) seeking to overturn an SCT resolution issued yesterday that suspended the airline’s operations (effective this afternoon) for failure to pay airspace usage fees to the Mexican Tax Administration (SAT).  The proceeding, filed in the Court of Tijuana, Baja California, appears to contest the suspension on the ground that Avolar is being treated “arbitrarily” by the SCT, which is merely following the “orders” of the SAT.  Avolar said it does not expect to pay the alleged tax debt in the near term.

Yesterday the SCT also suspended the operations of another Mexican upstart airline, Polar Airlines, S.A. de C.V., which operates under the name Nova Air, for alleged failure to pay airspace usage fees.  Polar has not contested its suspension.