American Airlines is celebrating 80 years of air service to Mexico. The world's largest airline began flying to Mexico in 1942, when the route was flown on a Douglas DC-3. It connected Dallas with Mexico City with a refueling stop in Monterrey. Mexico became the second foreign country that American Airlines serviced following the airline's Toronto, Canada route launch a year prior.

International partnership

Mexico and American Airlines have come to form a symbiotic relationship. Mexico is American's largest international destination, and American is one of the country's most prominent airlines. The carrier established its roots in Mexico over 80 years ago; today, those roots have produced an enormous tree of air services and onward networks. It has over 1,100 team members working in Mexico, more than any other nation besides the US. The bulk of these team members are stationed in Mexico City and Monterrey.

AMerican Airlines first flight to Mexico in 1942
American Airlines first flew to Mexico in September 1942. Photo: American Airlines

The airline has numerous remote operation facilities across the nation. It has four ticket sales centers, one of which is in Mexico City, another in Guadalajara, the third in Leon, and the fourth in Monterrey. It also has reservation offices in Monterrey and Mexico City. American offers its top-tier members flying from Mexico City access to its Admirals club at Benito Juárez International Airport (MEX).

American Airlines looks to continue expansion into Mexico in the coming decades. The airline has continuously generated profits for eight decades in the country. It hopes to keep this relationship going to promote profits for itself and the Mexican nation. American Airlines Vice President of International Affairs, José A. Freig, shared the company's appreciation for the diligent efforts made by its Mexican staff members to ensure that operations in the country operate regularly and smoothly. Freig stated,

"As the leading U.S. airline in Mexico, we are proud to celebrate 80 years of connecting our two countries, offering our customers an unbeatable network and the highest level of service.

"It's important we recognize and thank our Mexico-based team members for their outstanding work leading American's largest international operation during a year of record growth for us in the country."

Daily connections

American Airlines' Mexico routes have allowed it to reach deep into Latin America and the Mexican travel market. By servicing destinations beyond the Tropic of Cancer, the airline has offered valuable services to business and leisure travelers, with many of its routes focusing heavily on tourism from the US. The cities of Cozumel, Cancun, and San Jose del Cabo are prime examples of popular leisure travel destinations served by American.

MEX-80-FSN-Sept-1942-American-Airlines-route-map
In the early days of aviation, the only foreign countries that American serviced were Canada and Mexico. Photo: American Airlines

The airline operates over 530 weekly flights to and from Mexico across 27 destinations. Two of these destinations, Zihuatanejo and Manzanillo, are only offered seasonally. The other 25 destinations are all regularly serviced. The airline released a list of its Mexico destinations in a recent statement, they include,

"Acapulco, Aguascalientes, Cancún, Chihuahua, Mexico City, Cozumel, Culiacan, Durango, Guadalajara, Hermosillo, Huatulco, La Paz, León, Loreto, Mazatlán, Mérida, Monterrey, Morelia, Oaxaca, Puerto Vallarta, Querétaro, San José del Cabo, San Luis Potosi, Torreon, Zacatecas, Mexico."

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