The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued air safety alerts on January 16, 2026, warning of potential military activities and satellite navigation interferences in the Gulf of California and Pacific regions near Sinaloa. These notices aim to prevent accidents for US commercial and civil flights, without closing airspace. The alert will remain in effect until March 17, 2026.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued two NOTAM notices (KICZ A0015/26 and KICZ A0018/26) targeted at US operators and airlines, alerting to potentially hazardous situations in airspace over the Pacific Ocean, Gulf of California, and the Mazatlán region in Sinaloa, Mexico. These notices address possible military operations and interferences in GNSS systems (Global Navigation Satellite System), such as GPS, which could impact air navigation at all altitudes, including takeoff, landing, and overflight phases.
The FAA does not specify the origin of the military activities, which may involve exercises or deployments from Mexico or the US, and reports no confirmed incidents. "It's common in conflict situations," said air traffic controller María Larriva, referring to the warning. Ángel Domínguez Catzin, president of the College of Aviator Pilots, explained that these notices are standard preventive measures in international aviation and that, so far, operations in Mexico are proceeding normally, without disruptions to commercial or private flights.
The alert applies to US commercial airlines, FAA-certified pilots, and civil aircraft registered in the US, excluding foreign airline operations. It does not involve flight suspensions but calls for precautions and reporting anomalies to the Washington Operations Center. Additional sources note extensions to Central and South American airspace, such as over Colombia and Panama, amid regional geopolitical tensions, though the primary focus is on areas near Mexico. The FAA will maintain constant monitoring during the validity period, from January 16 to March 17, 2026.
