A New Mexican Airline Takes Flight

Fly the khaki skies

On August 28 2010, Mexico's oldest and largest airline - Mexicana de Aviación, commonly referred to as simply Mexicana - ceased operations. A "sudden" financial crisis had gripped the company, forcing them to declare bankruptcy. Growing labor costs was cited by Mexicana as the primary driver behind their insolvency, but the airline's owner, Gastón Azcárraga, was suspected of fraud and prosecuted by the Mexican government. Mr. Azcárraga fled to the United States, where he remains today, a fugitive from Mexican justice.

But like a phoenix rising from the ashes, Mexicana too has been reborn. Mexico's federal government purchased the rights to the Mexicana brand, leased 10 Boeing 737 aircraft, and will begin flying domestic routes sometime in September.

Standing at attention

Mexico's president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO), whose administration architected the advent of this new airline, has also announced that the airline will be operated by Mexico's army. As a dedicated fan of placing civil institutions under military control, AMLO's announcement comes as no surprise. He had previously placed Mexico City's International Airport under the control of the Mexican Navy; and Mexico City's new airport - Felipe Angeles International Airport (AIFA) - is also run by the military. Does this mean that ticketing agents and flight attendants will be wearing camouflage? No. Because that would be just weird.

Now for some actually useful details

The new Mexicana will be a budget airline. Missing will be the concept of "classes" on Mexicana flights: there will be one class - we're all equals here. It is expected that ticket prices will be around 18 to 20 percent lower than competing airlines operating in Mexico.

In addition to the first 10 aircraft, Mexicana expects to add an additional 7 aircraft in October. 20 domestic routes are currently planned, one of which includes the brand new international airport being built in the popular beach destination of Tulum on the Caribbean coast of the Yucatán Peninsula (expected to be completed in December of this year). The complete list of planned destinations are (in alphabetical order):

• Acapulco

• Campeche

• Cancún/Tulum Airport

• Chetumal

• Ciudad Juárez

• Cozumel

• Guadalajara

• Hermosillo

• Huatulco

• Ixtapa- Zihuatanejo

• La Paz

• León

• Los Cabos

• Mazatlán

• Mérida

• Monterrey

• Oaxaca

• Puerto Vallarta

• Tijuana

• Villahermosa

The new Mexicana jets will carry over some of the original Mexicana design elements, but will be painted with a white, green and red motif to reflect Mexico's flag. And, perhaps, to convey that it is owned by the Mexican government and operated by the Mexican Army.

¡Bienvenidos a bordo!