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Aeromexico
- IATA/ICAO Code:
- AM/AMX
- Airline Type:
- Full Service Carrier
- Hub(s):
- Mexico City International Airport
- Year Founded:
- 1934
- Alliance:
- SkyTeam
- Airline Group:
- Grupo Aeromexico
- CEO:
- Andrés Conesa Labastida
- Country:
- Mexico
- Region:
- North America
- Loyalty Program:
- Aeromexico Rewards
The Mexican carrier Aeromexico has announced a significant expansion from Monterrey International Airport (MTY) in an effort to decentralize its operations out of Mexico City Benito Juárez International (MEX). The airline announced five new routes from this hub on Monday and Tuesday.
Decentralization?
Currently, Aeromexico operates 144 weekly flights to and from Monterrey, a city located in the north of the country, unofficially the region’s economic center. Aeromexico only has two exclusive routes from Monterrey, flying to Madrid (MAD) three times a week and Detroit (DTW) four times per week. The airline also operates 116 weekly services between MEX and MTY and 21 weekly flights between MTY and the Felipe Ángeles International Airport (NLU).
Nonetheless, it seems Aeromexico is looking to expand its commercial reach and launch new routes from Monterrey. Historically, Aeromexico has leveraged its growth from MEX, but it has looked outward to new options in the last few months. The Mexican carrier has opened new routes from NLU, MTY, and Guadalajara International Airport (GDL). This decentralization is aimed to diversify Aeromexico’s offer, helping the airline compete against ultra-low-cost carriers Volaris and Viva Aerobus.
New routes incoming
On Monday, Aeromexico announced four new domestic routes from Monterrey. The airline will operate services to Bajío (BJX), Guadalajara (GDL), Quéretaro (QRO), and San Luis Potosí (SLP).
By December 15, Aeromexico will offer seven weekly flights to Bajío and Querétaro. One month later, on January 16, it will offer 19 weekly flights to Guadalajara and five to San Luis Potosí while increasing to 18 weekly flights to Bajío and Querétaro, the airline announced in a statement. Next year, Aeromexico will offer around 100 routes. In Monterrey alone, the airline will increase its capacity by 43% and will offer approximately 240,000 monthly seats.
On Tuesday, Aeromexico announced one additional route from Monterrey. The airline is looking to launch a service between Monterrey and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) starting on December 15. Aeromexico would operate one daily flight between these two cities, offering up to 6,000 monthly seats.
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Category 2
The route between Monterrey and Los Angeles is very interesting to explore. Currently, it is only operated by Viva Aerobus, with two weekly services on Thursday and Sunday. Aeromexico will be able to launch this route despite Mexico being downgraded to Category 2 status by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). This route was operated by Aeromexico Connect, the airline's regional branch with an Embraer fleet, prior to the pandemic and, therefore, prior to the Mexican government being downgraded.
Mexico has been downgraded to Category 2 status since May 2021, and Mexican airlines have been unable to launch new routes to the United States. Viva Aerobus had around seven routes that had to be temporarily delayed, and Volaris announced it would fly between NLU and LAX by December 2022 but later recalled those plans. Under Category 2 status, Mexican airlines can't add new services, new planes, or fully execute their partnerships with US carriers.
What do you think about Aeromexico’s newest routes? Do you believe decentralizing from Mexico City will help the airline grow in the future? Let us know in the comments below.