2023-12-26 19:12:15
Published26. December 2023, 8:12 p.m.
Air transport: Mexico launches new low-cost airline managed by the army
For its inaugural flight, a Boeing 737 from Mexicana de Aviación, a company which went bankrupt in 2010, took off this Tuesday from Felipe Ángeles airport, in the north of Mexico.
As tradition dictates, the Boeing 737 was sprayed with hoses from fire trucks to mark its maiden flight.
Mexico Presidency/Handout via REUTERS
A new military-run airline began operations Tuesday in Mexico, the world’s sixth most visited country, promising cheaper fares than its three competitors. For this inaugural flight, a promotional price starting from 389 pesos (20 francs) had been announced.
A Boeing 737 from Mexicana de Aviación, which went bankrupt in 2010, left from Felipe Ángeles Airport (AIFA), in the north of the capital, to connect Tulum, on the Caribbean coast. However, the flight was diverted due to bad weather and landed further north, in Mérida.
Bought for 41 million
Founded in 1921, the company went bankrupt in 2010. The government completed its takeover in August for 815 million pesos (41.1 million francs). “It’s an emblematic, historic airline,” said left-wing President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
The public company is now administered by the Olmeca-Maya-Mexica group, in charge of the Mexican armed forces, which also manage the president’s other major projects.
The company will operate from the capital’s new AIFA airport, built to relieve congestion at the old international airport in the center of the city. AIFA Airport was inaugurated in March 2022 by Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
Mandate the army to fight corruption
During his mandate, which ends in 2024, the Mexican president will have entrusted the army with civil powers, such as the construction and administration of its major projects, the best way, according to him, to fight against corruption. His opponents denounce the “militarization” of the country.
Mexico, one of the fifteen largest countries in the world, is served by Aeroméxico (partner of Delta Airlines and Air France) and two low-cost airlines (Volaris and Viva Aerobus).
(AFP)
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