Aerovías de México, S.A. de C.V. () operating as Aeroméxico (; styled as AM), is the
flag carrier
A flag carrier is a transport company, such as an airline or shipping company, that, being locally registered in a given sovereign state, enjoys preferential rights or privileges accorded by that government for international operations.
Histo ...
of
Mexico
Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
based in
Mexico City
Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...
. It operates scheduled services to more than 90 destinations in Mexico, North, South and Central America, the Caribbean, Europe, and Asia. Its main base and hub is
Mexico City International Airport
Mexico City International Airport (); officially ''Aeropuerto Internacional Benito Juárez'' (Benito Juárez International Airport) is the primary international airport serving Greater Mexico City. It is the List of the busiest airports in Me ...
, with secondary hubs in
Guadalajara
Guadalajara ( ; ) is the capital and the most populous city in the western Mexican List of states of Mexico, state of Jalisco, as well as the most densely populated municipality in Jalisco. According to the 2020 census, the city has a population ...
and
Monterrey
Monterrey (, , abbreviated as MtY) is the capital and largest city of the northeastern Mexican state of Nuevo León. It is the ninth-largest city and the second largest metropolitan area, after Greater Mexico City. Located at the foothills of th ...
. The headquarters is in the
Torre MAPFRE on
Paseo de la Reforma
Paseo de la Reforma (literally "Promenade of La Reforma, the Reform") is a wide avenue that runs diagonally across the heart of Mexico City. It was designed at the behest of Maximilian of Mexico, Emperor Maximilian by Ferdinand von Rosenzweig d ...
.
Grupo Aeroméxico includes Aeroméxico and
Aeroméxico Connect (regional subsidiary). The group currently holds the No. 2 place in domestic market share behind
Volaris
Volaris (legally ''Concesionaria Vuela Compañía de Aviación S.A.B. de C.V.'') is a Mexican low-cost airline based in Santa Fe, Mexico City, Santa Fe, Álvaro Obregón, Mexico City, Álvaro Obregón, Mexico City with its operating bases in Canc ...
, with 24.2%; and No. 1 place in international market share with 15.8%, in the 12 months ending March 2020, becoming Mexico's largest international airline group. Aeroméxico is one of the four founding members of the
SkyTeam
SkyTeam is one of the world's three major airline alliances. Founded in June 2000, SkyTeam was the last of the three alliances to be formed, after Star Alliance and Oneworld. Its annual passenger count is 624 million customers (2024), the second ...
airline alliance, along with
Air France
Air France (; legally ''Société Air France, S.A.''), stylised as AIRFRANCE, is the flag carrier of France, and is headquartered in Tremblay-en-France. The airline is a subsidiary of the Air France-KLM Group and is one of the founding members ...
,
Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines, Inc. is a Major airlines of the United States, major airline in the United States headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, operating nine hubs, with Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport being its ...
and
Korean Air
Korean Air Lines Co., Ltd. (KAL; ) is the flag carrier of South Korea and its largest airline based on fleet size, international destinations, and international flights. It is owned by the Hanjin, Hanjin Group.
The present-day Korean Air tra ...
.
Aeroméxico works closely with the U.S. carrier Delta Air Lines, which owns part of Aeroméxico and in 2015 announced its intention to acquire up to 49% of the latter's shares. On 8 May 2017, a joint commercial agreement (JCA), came into effect, whereby the airlines share information, costs, and revenues on all their flights between the United States and Mexico.
[
In 2016, Aeroméxico flew 19.703 million passengers (up 5.0% vs. previous year), of which 13.047 million domestic (+3.7%) and 6.656 million international (+7.6%). It flew 34.776 million revenue passenger kilometers (RPKs), had 43.362 million available seat kilometers (ASKs), and an 80.3% load factor.
]
History
1934
The airline was established as Aeronaves de México on 15 September 1934, by Antonio Díaz Lombardo. Its first aircraft was a Stinson SR Reliant 5A (registered XB-AJI). Julio Zinser piloted the maiden flight on the Mexico City – Acapulco
Acapulco de Juárez (), commonly called Acapulco ( , ; ), is a city and Port of Acapulco, major seaport in the Political divisions of Mexico, state of Guerrero on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, south of Mexico City. Located on a deep, semicirc ...
route on 14 September 1934.
1940s
When World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
began, the airline continued to grow with the help of Pan Am
Pan American World Airways, originally founded as Pan American Airways and more commonly known as Pan Am, was an airline that was the principal and largest international air carrier and unofficial overseas flag carrier of the United States for ...
, which owned 40% of the new Mexican airline and upgrade the fleet with DC-2s and Boeing 247s. Aeroméxico saw few changes for the next two decades. However, during the 1950s, renovation began, and the airline took over various small competitor companies across the country, including Aerovías Guest (the second airline of the country at that time) that held the routes to Madrid
Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...
and Paris. Aeroméxico added aircraft including the Douglas DC-3
The Douglas DC-3 is a propeller-driven airliner manufactured by the Douglas Aircraft Company, which had a lasting effect on the airline industry in the 1930s to 1940s and World War II.
It was developed as a larger, improved 14-bed sleeper ...
and its successor, the Douglas DC-4.
1950s
During the late 1950s, the Douglas DC-4s were replaced by some pressurized Douglas DC-6
The Douglas DC-6 is a piston-powered airliner and cargo aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company from 1946 to 1958. Originally intended as a military transport near the end of World War II, Douglas reworked it after the war to compete ...
s and two Bristol Britannia
The Bristol Type 175 Britannia is a retired United Kingdom, British flight length, medium-to-long-range airliner built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company in 1952 to meet British civilian aviation needs. During development two prototypes were lo ...
s (the first turboprop passenger aircraft in the fleet) and in 1958, services were inaugurated to Idlewild Airport (now JFK) using the Britannias. The Mexico City- New York route would prove profitable for "Aeronaves" and its North American competitors. The airline was nationalised
Nationalization (nationalisation in British English)
is the process of transforming privately owned assets into public assets by bringing them under the public ownership of a national government or state. Nationalization contrasts with ...
in 1959.
1960s
In the early 1960s, the fleet of Aeronaves de México (Aeroméxico) included Douglas DC-3, Douglas DC-6, and Bristol Britannia aircraft. Starting in 1961, "Aeronaves" began replacing its piston-engined aircraft with new jets. The first jet-engined aircraft were a pair of Douglas DC-8
The Douglas DC-8 (sometimes McDonnell Douglas DC-8) is an early long-range Narrow-body aircraft, narrow-body jetliner designed and produced by the American Douglas Aircraft Company. Work began in 1952 towards the United States Air Force's (USA ...
s. The DC-8s were used on routes within Mexico and to New York City. In 1963, Aeronaves de México (Aeroméxico) took over Aerovias Guest airlines and they were merged under the name Aeronaves de México. Later in the 1960s, more DC-8s were added and service to Europe was resumed, operated by two de Havilland Comet 4C jet aircraft dry-leased by Aerovías Guest prior to the merger.
1970s
The 1970s brought dramatic changes for Aeroméxico. In 1970, under a government plan, Mexican domestic airlines were nationalized into an integrated air transport system under the control of Aeronaves de México. The system included eight smaller carriers, although these were later disbanded.
During the early 1970s, the remaining Douglas DC-6 and Bristol Britannia aircraft were retired. A new color scheme (orange and black) was introduced and the airline changed its name from "Aeronaves de México" to its current, shortened version of Aeroméxico in February 1972.
One of Aeronaves de Mexico's subsidiaries during that era was named Aeronaves del Sureste ("Southeast Air Ships"). That subsidiary had a mix of Twin-Otter and DC-9 jets aircraft.
Aeroméxico, as one of the launch customers of the McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 program, received the first of its aircraft in 1974. That same year, the airline also took delivery of its first seven McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32s.
During this period, the airline's popularity and visibility grew dramatically. This was due in part to Aeroméxico's involvement in Mexican movies. Basically, every time characters in any movie produced in Mexico had to fly somewhere, they were depicted as flying on Aeroméxico aircraft.
1980s
The early 1980s were marked by expansion. A new color scheme was introduced (orange paint and silver), two DC-10-15s and a DC-10-30 were added in 1981 and in 1984. Aeroméxico, one of the launch customers of the McDonnell Douglas MD-82 (an elongated version of the DC-9), received its first two in late 1981. Between 1980 and 1981, eight more DC-9-32 aircraft were added.
On 31 August 1986, the company suffered its only fatal accident outside Mexico when Aeroméxico Flight 498, a Douglas DC-9, approaching Los Angeles International Airport
Los Angeles International Airport is the primary international airport serving Los Angeles and its Greater Los Angeles, surrounding metropolitan area, in the U.S. state of California. LAX is located in the Westchester, Los Angeles, Westcheste ...
was struck by a light aircraft
A light aircraft is an aircraft that has a Maximum Takeoff Weight, maximum gross takeoff weight of or less.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms, third edition'', page 308. Aviation Supplies & Academics, 1997.
Light aircraft are use ...
. Both aircraft then fell to earth in the Los Angeles suburb of Cerritos, California
Cerritos (; Spanish for "Little hills") is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, and is one of several cities that constitute the Gateway Cities of southeast Los Angeles County. It was municipal corporation, incorporated on ...
. All 64 passengers and crew on board the DC-9-32 were killed, as were the three people in the light aircraft and 15 people on the ground. After three years and a long trial, the aircraft's crew and the airline were found not to blame. This was because the pilot of the Piper had strayed into an air traffic control zone reserved for commercial flights. That same year, the airline acquired the charter carrier GATSA and used it for charter operations until December.
In April 1988, the state-owned company was declared bankrupt and grounded for three months because of lack of organization, a fleet with an average of 20 years without a renovation plan and a depredating administration by the Mexican Government. In August, a privatization program was underway. This involved retiring the eight Douglas DC-8s along with the remaining ten DC-9-15 aircraft. After a strike and bankruptcy between April and May 1988, a privatization process started and included a new corporate name (Aerovias de Mexico SA de CV). The airline restarted operations with some of its predecessor's assets, including the headquarters building, maintenance hangar, some aircraft, and some former Aeronaves de Mexico employees.
1990s
The early 1990s were turbulent times, with the rise in fuel costs due to the Gulf War
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, strength1 = Over 950,000 soldiers3,113 tanks1,800 aircraft2,200 artillery systems
, page = https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-PEMD-96- ...
, and a domestic fare war caused by start-up airlines like TAESA, Servicios Aéreos Rutas Oriente, Aviacsa, among others, as well as constant labor problems. In April 1991, the first two 767-200ERs were introduced to the fleet to replace DC-10s in services to Europe, New York, and Tijuana, and another two 767-300ERs joined the fleet later that year. This was all a part of a renovation and expansion program to introduce 24 direct flights to Madrid
Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...
and Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
from Mexico City
Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...
with Boeing 767s as well as services to Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main () is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Hesse. Its 773,068 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the List of cities in Germany by population, fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located in the forela ...
via Paris and Rome via Madrid.
In 1992, Grupo Aeroméxico was among other investors that failed to consummate the acquisition of Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines (simply known as Continental) was a major airline in the United States that operated from 1934 until it merged with United Airlines in 2012. It had ownership interests and brand partnerships with several carriers.
Continen ...
. After failing to invest in Continental, Aeroméxico acquired the bankrupt Aeroperú from the Peruvian government.
In 1993, Aeroméxico Group took over Mexicana, the second-largest airline in the Mexican market under the same management. There was a great dispute in June 1993 with the pilot union regarding the transfer of flights to regional subsidiary Aeromonterrey, which had non-union pilots. Between 1994 and 1995, the six DC-10 aircraft in the fleet were finally retired. Their last revenue flight was in 1995.
In December 1994, three weeks after Carlos Salinas de Gortari left the office, the first of several devaluations in the next 18 months started, giving way to the Mexican peso crisis
The Mexican peso crisis was a currency crisis sparked by the Mexican government's sudden devaluation of the peso against the U.S. dollar in December 1994, which became one of the first international financial crises ignited by capital flight. ...
. As a consequence, Aeroméxico had to cut capacity and flights to Frankfurt and Rome were canceled, four McDonnell Douglas MD-80s and four Boeing 767
The Boeing 767 is an American wide-body airliner developed and manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
The aircraft was launched as the 7X7 program on July 14, 1978, the prototype first flew on September 26, 1981, and it was certified ...
s were returned to their lessors, early retirement for pilots and other staff was underway, and a new Boeing 767 due for delivery in April 1995 was instead transferred to another airline. Flights to Madrid and Paris were operated only by two Boeing 767-300ER jets.
In 1996, Cintra was created to prevent the two main carriers from going bankrupt. Some Boeing 757
The Boeing 757 is an American Narrow-body aircraft, narrow-body airliner designed and built by Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
The then-named 7N7, a twinjet successor for the trijet Boeing 727, 727, received its first orders in August 1978.
The ...
s of Aeroméxico's original renovation program were transferred to Mexicana and Aeroperú. The market and the airline recovered between 1996 and 1998; eight McDonnell Douglas MD80s were leased back along with two Boeing 767-200ERs.
The sale of Grupo Cintra was scheduled after several delays in September 1999, and with the looming presidential elections in 2000, everything was delayed once again. The ruling party lost the election after 70 years in office and all the policies changed. Due to the recession in 2000, the new government put everything on hold, waiting for better economic conditions to start the stock sell-off, and just when everything was about to start, the 11 September 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into ...
occurred and nothing materialized since the two main carriers, Mexicana and Aeroméxico, were losing large amounts of money.
2000s
Between 2000 and 2005, Aeroméxico had an average fleet of 60 aircraft in mainline operation, plus 20 in Aerolitoral, as well as five CEOs during this time. On 22 June 2000, the airline, along with Air France
Air France (; legally ''Société Air France, S.A.''), stylised as AIRFRANCE, is the flag carrier of France, and is headquartered in Tremblay-en-France. The airline is a subsidiary of the Air France-KLM Group and is one of the founding members ...
, Delta
Delta commonly refers to:
* Delta (letter) (Δ or δ), the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet
* D (NATO phonetic alphabet: "Delta"), the fourth letter in the Latin alphabet
* River delta, at a river mouth
* Delta Air Lines, a major US carrier ...
, and Korean Air
Korean Air Lines Co., Ltd. (KAL; ) is the flag carrier of South Korea and its largest airline based on fleet size, international destinations, and international flights. It is owned by the Hanjin, Hanjin Group.
The present-day Korean Air tra ...
, founded the SkyTeam
SkyTeam is one of the world's three major airline alliances. Founded in June 2000, SkyTeam was the last of the three alliances to be formed, after Star Alliance and Oneworld. Its annual passenger count is 624 million customers (2024), the second ...
global airline alliance. After 9/11 and the Iraq War, it pursued a fleet renovation program. In 2003, the airline acquired its first Boeing 737-700 instead of the Boeing 717
The Boeing 717 is an American five-abreast narrow-body aircraft, narrow-body airliner produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The Twinjet, twin-engine airliner was developed for the 100-seat market and originally marketed by McDonnell Dougla ...
as a replacement for its aging DC-9 aircraft. On 29 March 2006, Aeroméxico CEO Andrés Conesa announced the inauguration of direct flights between Japan and Mexico City via Tijuana
Tijuana is the most populous city of the Mexican state of Baja California, located on the northwestern Pacific Coast of Mexico. Tijuana is the municipal seat of the Tijuana Municipality, the hub of the Tijuana metropolitan area and the most popu ...
. This was after the purchase of two Boeing 777-200ERs, making Aeroméxico the third airline in Latin America
Latin America is the cultural region of the Americas where Romance languages are predominantly spoken, primarily Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese. Latin America is defined according to cultural identity, not geogr ...
to fly regularly to Asia, after Varig
VARIG (''Viação Aérea Rio-Grandense'', 'Rio Grandean Airways') was the first airline founded in Brazil, in 1927. From 1965 until 1990, it was Brazil's leading airline and virtually its only international one. In 2005, Varig went into judici ...
and the now-defunct VASP. Since Varig's demise, Aeroméxico is currently the only airline with this service. Aeroméxico resumed its Mexico City-Tijuana-Shanghai route twice a week as of 30 March 2010. Suspension of this flight was due to the 2009 flu pandemic.
On 29 June 2006, the International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC) and Aeroméxico announced that the airline would operate three Boeing 787 Dreamliner
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is an American wide-body airliner developed and manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
After dropping its unconventional Sonic Cruiser project, Boeing announced the conventional 7E7 on January 29, 2003, wh ...
s. Aeroméxico's deliveries were scheduled to begin in early 2012. From 2006, Consorcio Aeroméxico S.A. de C.V., the parent company of Aeroméxico at the time, faced large debts and had no profits to pay them off, so it offered Aeroméxico for sale in 2007. In early October, a week-long auction was held, with Grupo Financiero Banamex, a unit of Citigroup
Citigroup Inc. or Citi (Style (visual arts), stylized as citi) is an American multinational investment banking, investment bank and financial services company based in New York City. The company was formed in 1998 by the merger of Citicorp, t ...
, competing against the Saba family. On 17 October 2007, Banamex offered the highest bid and purchased the airline for US$249.1 million. In October 2010, Aeroméxico's largest competitor, Mexicana de Aviacion, filed for bankruptcy and was placed in administration.
2010s
Delta/Aeroméxico alliance
In 2011, Delta Air Lines and Aeroméxico signed an enhanced commercial alliance, building on an original agreement from 1994. The 2011 agreement provided for codeshare on all the carriers' Mexico–US flights; Delta investing US$65 million in Aeroméxico shares; and Delta gaining a seat on the Aeroméxico board of directors.
* In March 2014, the airlines opened Tech Ops Mexico, a US$55 million joint maintenance, repair, and overhaul facility in Queretaro City, Mexico.
*In March 2015, the airlines filed applications for antitrust immunity, a first step in the creation of a US$1.5 billion joint cooperation agreement (JCA) that will allow Delta and Aeroméxico to jointly sell, and share costs and profits on all Mexico–U.S. routes.[
*In May 2015, Mexican regulator approved the JCA; and in the same month, the Mexican Senate approved ]Open Skies
The freedoms of the air, also called five freedoms of air transport, are a set of commercial aviation rights granting a country's airlines the privilege to enter and land in another country's airspace. They were formulated as a result of disag ...
between the U.S. and Mexico.
* In November 2016, the DOT approved the joint venture under strict conditions that the airlines give up slots in both Mexico City and New York-JFK.
*In December 2016, the two airlines made the final agreement to go forward with the JV and antitrust immunity was granted.
* In February 2017, Delta announced an offer to acquire additional shares of Aeroméxico, up to 49%.
*On 8 May 2017, the joint commercial agreement went into effect, whereby the airlines share information and jointly determine routes and pricing on all U.S.-Mexico flights, and share costs and profits.[
]
Dreamliners
On 25 July 2012, Aeroméxico CEO Andrés Conesa announced the purchase of six Boeing 787-9
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is an American Wide-body aircraft, wide-body airliner developed and manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
After dropping its unconventional Boeing Sonic Cruiser, Sonic Cruiser project, Boeing announced the ...
Dreamliners. The new order was added to the package of 20 aircraft that the company had announced in 2011 and nine more Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners already provided. The delivery of the Dreamliners began in the summer of 2013. The total investment is US$11 billion and includes the acquisition of 90 Boeing 737 MAX 8s, which began delivering from 2018. The airline took delivery of its first Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner (sourced from the ILFC order book) in early August 2013 and officially launched commercial service on 1 October 2013. Between 2013 and 2015, the remaining eight were delivered (seven leased and two owned by Aeroméxico outright).
In September 2016, Aeroméxico received its first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. This particular frame, registered XA-ADL, is named after and painted in a unique commemorating Quetzalcoatl, a major figure in Aztec
The Aztecs ( ) were a Mesoamerican civilization that flourished in central Mexico in the Post-Classic stage, post-classic period from 1300 to 1521. The Aztec people included different Indigenous peoples of Mexico, ethnic groups of central ...
culture of pre-Hispanic Mexico, as the result of a "Design in the Air" competition hosted by the airline inviting students at select universities in Mexico to submit a potential design to be painted on the airframe.
Branded fares
In February 2018, Aeroméxico introduced a new branded fares structure, which included a new Basic fare that did not contain a checked luggage allowance, nor did it allow for seat assignments, upgrades, or changes.
2020
Bankruptcy
The COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
deeply affected the global aviation industry, including Aeroméxico. Aeroméxico's stock dropped during first half of 2020 and rumors about bankruptcy. On June 30, Aeroméxico voluntarily filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code ( Title 11 of the United States Code) permits reorganization under the bankruptcy laws of the United States. Such reorganization, known as Chapter 11 bankruptcy, is available to every business, w ...
in the United States. However, day-to-day operations continued as the company restructured. Existing tickets were honored and employees continued to be paid as usual.
On July 1, 2021, shareholder Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines, Inc. is a Major airlines of the United States, major airline in the United States headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, operating nine hubs, with Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport being its ...
announced it would purchase $185 million of the Mexican airline's Chapter 11 debt.
On August 28, 2024, Aeroméxico unveiled a new livery in celebration of the airline's 90th anniversary.
Corporate affairs
Headquarters
Its headquarters are in Colonia Cuauhtémoc, Cuauhtémoc Borough, Mexico City
Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...
.
Subsidiaries
* Aeroméxico Connect, formerly Aerolitoral, a regional airline based at Monterrey International Airport
General Mariano Escobedo International Airport () , simply known as Monterrey International Airport (), is an international airport located in Apodaca, Nuevo León, Mexico serving Monterrey metropolitan area, Greater Monterrey. It operates fli ...
Former subsidiaries
* Aeroméxico Express was a commuter airline
A regional airline is a general classification of airline which typically operates scheduled passenger air service, using regional airliner, regional aircraft, between communities lacking sufficient demand or infrastructure to attract Mainline ...
based at Monterrey International Airport
General Mariano Escobedo International Airport () , simply known as Monterrey International Airport (), is an international airport located in Apodaca, Nuevo León, Mexico serving Monterrey metropolitan area, Greater Monterrey. It operates fli ...
. It was a partnership between Aeroméxico and Aeromar. It ceased to exist in June 2016 when the two wet-leased ATR 72-600 it used to operate its routes were returned to Aeromar.
* Aeroméxico Contigo, Aeroméxico's brand for select U.S.-Mexico flights
* Aerovias Guest
* Aeroperú, Peru's national flag carrier based in Lima International Airport
* Mexicana, from 1993 to 1995
* Aeromexpress, a cargo handler based at Mexico City International Airport
Mexico City International Airport (); officially ''Aeropuerto Internacional Benito Juárez'' (Benito Juárez International Airport) is the primary international airport serving Greater Mexico City. It is the List of the busiest airports in Me ...
in Mexico City
* Aeroméxico Travel, a charter airline based in Cancún International Airport
Corporate Image
*1960s–1970s – Mexico's largest airline
*1990s – La línea aérea mas puntual del mundo.
*Before 2009 – Travel the world (Vamos por el mundo)
*2010–2012 – A donde te lleven tus sueños.
*2012–2013 – Nunca nos detenemos.
*2013–present – La línea que nos une.
*2016–present – La línea de los Mexicanos y del mundo.
* English slogan: "Mexico's Global Airline"[aeromexico.com]
Technology
In 2016, Aeroméxico added 2Ku WiFi
Wi-Fi () is a family of wireless network protocols based on the IEEE 802.11 family of standards, which are commonly used for Wireless LAN, local area networking of devices and Internet access, allowing nearby digital devices to exchange data by ...
service by Gogo to some 737-800 aircraft, including access to Netflix
Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
. On its Dreamliners, it added Panasonic broadband Internet, and on Embraer narrow-body aircraft, streaming entertainment via Gogo's Gogo Vision.
In July 2016, the airline launched a completely new website and new check-in kiosks at Mexico City Airport. That same year, the airline also co-sponsored the launch of startup accelerator MassChallenge in Mexico.
In August 2017, the company became the Mexico launch customers of digital agency MediaMonks and together, they released a new mobile app.
Controversies
Aeroméxico has been accused of racist behavior, with allegations including removing passengers from planes because they were Indigenous. Most complaints of discrimination against the airline have been reported as being due to skin color or ethnic origin. In May 2022, Aeroméxico prevented Nahuatl
Nahuatl ( ; ), Aztec, or Mexicano is a language or, by some definitions, a group of languages of the Uto-Aztecan language family. Varieties of Nahuatl are spoken by about Nahuas, most of whom live mainly in Central Mexico and have smaller popul ...
film maker David Cayetano from boarding a plane to Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
, where he was to present his film "Tsontiajakatl, el último viento" (Tsontiajakatl, the Last Wind). Aeroméxico falsely claimed that Cayetano did not have the required vaccines, leading to accusations that he was instead prevented from flying due to his indigenous ethnicity. A significant number of complaints emerged in August 2022 after a video of indigenous family being removed from a flight was shared on social media. The father of the family claimed he was removed "because of his appearance", though that cannot be heard in the video. Aeroméxico did not comment on the incident.
Chat platform
In September 2016, Aeroméxico became the first airline in the Americas to launch a chatbot
A chatbot (originally chatterbot) is a software application or web interface designed to have textual or spoken conversations. Modern chatbots are typically online and use generative artificial intelligence systems that are capable of main ...
, that enables customers to search, track and book flights interacting with a virtual assistant
A virtual assistant (VA) is a software agent that can perform a range of tasks or services for a user based on user input such as commands or questions, including verbal ones. Such technologies often incorporate chatbot capabilities to streaml ...
on Facebook Messenger. During the Facebook F8 conference in April 2017, the airline earned praise from Facebook
Facebook is a social media and social networking service owned by the American technology conglomerate Meta Platforms, Meta. Created in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with four other Harvard College students and roommates, Eduardo Saverin, Andre ...
for being among the first companies worldwide to launch the Chat Extension function, allowing users to pull up Aerobot during a group chat. It also launched the ability to ask any question, using artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) is the capability of computer, computational systems to perform tasks typically associated with human intelligence, such as learning, reasoning, problem-solving, perception, and decision-making. It is a field of re ...
and natural language processing
Natural language processing (NLP) is a subfield of computer science and especially artificial intelligence. It is primarily concerned with providing computers with the ability to process data encoded in natural language and is thus closely related ...
techniques to match the questions with answers.
In September 2017, Aeroméxico announced that it would be among the first companies worldwide to start services on WhatsApp
WhatsApp (officially WhatsApp Messenger) is an American social media, instant messaging (IM), and voice-over-IP (VoIP) service owned by technology conglomerate Meta. It allows users to send text, voice messages and video messages, make vo ...
's new Enterprise solution – the first time large companies would be able to provide customer service to users at scale. In February 2018, the company announced development of further features together with its partner Yalochat, such as purchase confirmation and flight notifications via WhatsApp, and deepening the artificial intelligence used on its chat platform.
Destinations
New destinations
In an attempt to gain more worldwide presence and strengthen its network and to make connections easier and more frequent, Aeroméxico entered new international markets. In 2006, it started operations to Tokyo from Mexico City
Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...
via Tijuana
Tijuana is the most populous city of the Mexican state of Baja California, located on the northwestern Pacific Coast of Mexico. Tijuana is the municipal seat of the Tijuana Municipality, the hub of the Tijuana metropolitan area and the most popu ...
. Service to Shanghai
Shanghai, Shanghainese: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the ...
from Mexico City via Tijuana began in May 2008. New destinations in 2015–2016 included Panama City (Panama), Santo Domingo, Vancouver, Toronto, Boston, Medellín, Amsterdam, Cozumel, and Austin (Texas). The airline launched service to Seoul from Mexico City (with a stop in Monterrey only on the outbound flight) on 1 July 2017.
In the first year of the Delta–Aeroméxico joint venture (June 2017–June 2018) the companies worked to enhance connectivity between Mexico and the U.S., and launched new Aeroméxico or Delta flights, or additional frequencies, on Los Angeles–Cabo San Lucas, New York JFK–Cancun, Detroit–León, Atlanta–Mérida, Seattle–Mexico City, Atlanta–Querétaro, Atlanta–León, Portland–Mexico City, Los Angeles–Leon, Atlanta–Guadalajara, and Guadalajara–Salt Lake City.
In 2023, Aeroméxico resumed flights to Rome and in June 2024 to Barcelona.
Codeshare agreements
Aeroméxico codeshares
A codeshare agreement, also known simply as codeshare, is a business arrangement, common in the aviation industry, in which two or more airlines publish and market the same flight under their own airline designator and flight number (the "airli ...
with the following airlines:
* Aerolíneas Argentinas
* Air Europa
Air Europa Líneas Aéreas, S.A.U., branded as Air Europa, is the third-largest Spain, Spanish airline after Iberia (airline), Iberia and Vueling. The airline is headquartered in Llucmajor, Mallorca, Spain; it has its main hub at Adolfo Suárez M ...
* Air France
Air France (; legally ''Société Air France, S.A.''), stylised as AIRFRANCE, is the flag carrier of France, and is headquartered in Tremblay-en-France. The airline is a subsidiary of the Air France-KLM Group and is one of the founding members ...
* Avianca
Avianca S.A. (acronym in Spanish for ''Aerovias de Colombia S.A.'', "Airways of Colombia", and stylized as avianca since October 2023) is the largest airline in Colombia. It has been the flag carrier of Colombia since December 5, 1919, when it ...
* China Airlines
China Airlines (CAL; zh, t=中華航空, poj=Tiong-hôa Hâng-khong, p=Zhōnghuá Hángkōng, first=t, c=, s=) is the state-owned flag carrier of the Taiwan, Republic of China (Taiwan). It is one of Taiwan's two major airlines, along with E ...
* China Eastern Airlines
China Eastern Airlines (branded as China Eastern) is a major airline in China, headquartered in Changning, Shanghai, Changning, Shanghai. It is one of the three major airlines in the country, along with Air China and China Southern Airlines.
...
* Copa Airlines
Compañía Panameña de Aviación, S.A., branded as Copa Airlines, is the flag carrier of Panama. It is headquartered in Panama City, Panama, with its main hub at Tocumen International Airport. Copa is a subsidiary of Copa Holdings and a member o ...
* Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines, Inc. is a Major airlines of the United States, major airline in the United States headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, operating nine hubs, with Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport being its ...
(joint venture partner)
* El Al
EL AL Israel Airlines Ltd. (), trading as EL AL (, "Upwards", "To the Skies", or "Skywards", stylized as ELAL; ) is the flag carrier of Israel. Since its inaugural flight from Geneva to Tel Aviv in September 1948, the airline has grown to serve ...
* Garuda Indonesia
Garuda Indonesia is the flag carrier of Indonesia, headquartered at Soekarno–Hatta International Airport near Jakarta. A successor of KLM Interinsulair Bedrijf, it is a member of SkyTeam airline alliance and the second-largest airline of Ind ...
* Gol Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes
* ITA Airways
* Japan Airlines
Japan Airlines (JAL) is the flag carrier airline of Japan. JAL is headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo. Its main hubs are Tokyo's Narita International Airport, Narita and Haneda Airport, Haneda airports, as well as secondary hubs in Osaka's Kansai ...
* Kenya Airways
Kenya Airways Ltd., more commonly known as Kenya Airways, is the flag carrier airline of Kenya. The company was founded in 1977, after the dissolution of East African Airways. Its head office is located in Embakasi, Nairobi, with its Airline hu ...
* KLM
* Korean Air
Korean Air Lines Co., Ltd. (KAL; ) is the flag carrier of South Korea and its largest airline based on fleet size, international destinations, and international flights. It is owned by the Hanjin, Hanjin Group.
The present-day Korean Air tra ...
* LATAM
* Middle East Airlines
* Saudia
Saudia (), formerly known as Saudi Arabian Airlines (), is the flag carrier of Saudi Arabia based in Jeddah. The airline's main hubs are the King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah and the King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, the ...
* Scandinavian Airlines
The Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS), commonly known as Scandinavian Airlines, is the national airline of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It is part of SAS Group and is headquartered in Solna, Sweden.
Including its subsidiaries SAS Link and ...
* TAROM
* Vietnam Airlines
Vietnam Airlines () is the flag carrier of Vietnam. The airline was founded in 1956 and later established as a Government-owned corporation, state-owned enterprise in April 1989. Vietnam Airlines is headquartered in Long Biên district, Hanoi ...
* Virgin Atlantic
Virgin Atlantic, a trading name of Virgin Atlantic Airways Limited and Virgin Atlantic International Limited, is a British airline with its head office in Crawley, West Sussex, England. The airline was established in 1984 as British Atlantic A ...
* WestJet
* XiamenAir
Xiamen Airlines ( ) (branded as XiamenAir), is an airline based in Xiamen, Fujian, China. XiamenAir has its northern headquarters in Beijing and eight branches in Fuzhou, Hangzhou, Tianjin, Hunan, Beijing, Quanzhou, Chongqing and Shanghai, and t ...
Fleet
Current fleet
, Aeroméxico operates an all-Boeing
The Boeing Company, or simply Boeing (), is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and product support s ...
mainline fleet composed of the following aircraft:
Not included are the fleets of subsidiary brand Aeroméxico Connect.
Former fleet
Aeroméxico also formerly operated the following aircraft types:
* Avro Anson
The Avro Anson is a British twin-engine, multi-role aircraft built by the aircraft manufacturer Avro. Large numbers of the type served in a variety of roles for the Royal Air Force (RAF), Fleet Air Arm (FAA), Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), R ...
* Bellanca Pacemaker
* Beechcraft 17 Staggerwing
* Boeing 247D
* Boeing 737-700
* Boeing 757-200
* Boeing 767-200ER
* Boeing 767-300ER
* Boeing 777-200ER
* Bristol Britannia
The Bristol Type 175 Britannia is a retired United Kingdom, British flight length, medium-to-long-range airliner built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company in 1952 to meet British civilian aviation needs. During development two prototypes were lo ...
* Convair 340
* Douglas DC-3
The Douglas DC-3 is a propeller-driven airliner manufactured by the Douglas Aircraft Company, which had a lasting effect on the airline industry in the 1930s to 1940s and World War II.
It was developed as a larger, improved 14-bed sleeper ...
* Douglas DC-4
* Douglas DC-6
The Douglas DC-6 is a piston-powered airliner and cargo aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company from 1946 to 1958. Originally intended as a military transport near the end of World War II, Douglas reworked it after the war to compete ...
* Douglas DC-8
The Douglas DC-8 (sometimes McDonnell Douglas DC-8) is an early long-range Narrow-body aircraft, narrow-body jetliner designed and produced by the American Douglas Aircraft Company. Work began in 1952 towards the United States Air Force's (USA ...
* Lockheed Constellation
The Lockheed Constellation ("Connie") is a propeller-driven, four-engined airliner built by Lockheed Corporation starting in 1943. The Constellation series was the first civil airliner family to enter widespread use equipped with a pressurized cab ...
* McDonnell Douglas DC-9-15
* McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30
* McDonnell Douglas DC-10-15
* McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30
* McDonnell Douglas MD-82
* McDonnell Douglas MD-83
* McDonnell Douglas MD-87
* McDonnell Douglas MD-88
* Stinson SR
* Travel Air
The Travel Air Manufacturing Company was an aircraft manufacturer established in Wichita, Kansas, United States in January 1925 by Clyde Cessna, Walter Beech, and Lloyd Stearman.
An early leader in single-engine, light-aircraft manufacturing, ...
Accidents, incidents and hijackings
Aeronaves de México
* 26 March 1954 near Monterrey
Monterrey (, , abbreviated as MtY) is the capital and largest city of the northeastern Mexican state of Nuevo León. It is the ninth-largest city and the second largest metropolitan area, after Greater Mexico City. Located at the foothills of th ...
, Mexico – ''XA-GUN'' a Douglas DC-3
* 2 June 1958 near Guadalajara
Guadalajara ( ; ) is the capital and the most populous city in the western Mexican List of states of Mexico, state of Jalisco, as well as the most densely populated municipality in Jalisco. According to the 2020 census, the city has a population ...
, Mexico – ''XA-MEV'', a Lockheed L-749A Constellation operating as Flight 111, crashed into La Latilla Mountain, 16 kilometers (10 miles) from Guadalajara Airport, shortly after takeoff for a flight to Mexico City
Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...
after the airliner's crew failed to follow the established climb-out procedure for Guadalajara Airport. The crash killed all 45 people on board, and two prominent American scientists – oceanographer Townsend Cromwell and fisheries scientist Bell M. Shimada – were among the dead. It was the deadliest aviation accident in Mexican history at the time.
* 19 January 1961 in New York City ( Idlewild), USA – Flight 401 a Douglas DC-8-21
* 13 August 1966 near Acapulco
Acapulco de Juárez (), commonly called Acapulco ( , ; ), is a city and Port of Acapulco, major seaport in the Political divisions of Mexico, state of Guerrero on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, south of Mexico City. Located on a deep, semicirc ...
, Mexico – ''XA-PEI'' a Douglas DC-8-51
* 24 December 1966 Lake Texcoco, Mexico – ''XA-NUS'' a Douglas DC-8-51
* 12 June 1967 near La Paz, BCS, Mexico – XA-FUW a Douglas DC-3A
Aerovías de México (Aeroméxico)
* On 20 June 1973, Douglas DC-9-15 ''XA-SOC'' near Puerto Vallarta
Puerto Vallarta ( or simply Vallarta) is a Mexican resort city near the Bahía de Banderas on the Pacific coast of the Mexico, Mexican state of Jalisco. Puerto Vallarta is the second largest urban agglomeration in the state after the Guadalajara ...
, Mexico, Aeroméxico Flight 229, a daily service from George Bush Intercontinental Airport
George Bush Intercontinental Airport is an international airport in Houston, Texas, United States, serving the Greater Houston metropolitan area. Initially named Houston Intercontinental Airport upon its opening in 1969, it was renamed in ho ...
to Licenciado Gustavo Díaz Ordaz International Airport
Licenciado Gustavo Díaz Ordaz International Airport (), simply known as Puerto Vallarta International Airport (), is an international airport serving Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico. It serves as a gateway to the Mexican tourist destination of ...
, crashed into the side of a mountain while on approach, killing all 27 people on board.
* On 2 September 1976, Douglas DC-9-15 ''XA-SOF'' operating as Aeroméxico Flight 152 overran the runway at León, Guanajuato-Del Bajío Airport where it was damaged beyond repair. No injuries were reported.
* On 11 November 1979, an Aeroméxico DC-10, named "Castillo de Chapultepec" and operating as AM flight 945 from Frankfurt to Mexico City, with a stop-over in Miami, experienced trouble over Luxembourg. The airplane lost almost 12,000 feet of altitude, beginning at 29,800 feet and ending at about 18,000 feet. The crew at first wanted to divert to Madrid but decided to continue the flight to Miami instead. The plane landed in Miami without further incident but upon de-boarding it, crews discovered that a portion of the outboard elevators and of the lower fuselage tail area maintenance access door had fallen off during the flight. There were no injuries to the 311 passengers and crew on board.
* On 27 July 1981, Aeroméxico Flight 230 ''XA-DEN'', a Douglas DC-9-32, crashed while landing in Chihuahua, killing 32 of the 66 people on board.
* On 8 November 1981, '' XA-DEO'', a Douglas DC-9-32 flying from Acapulco to Guadalajara crashed in the mountains of the state of Guerrero
Guerrero, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Guerrero, is one of the 32 states that compose the administrative divisions of Mexico, 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into Municipalities of Guerrero, 85 municipalities. The stat ...
.
* On 31 August 1986, Aeroméxico Flight 498, operated with a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32, was on its final approach into Los Angeles International Airport
Los Angeles International Airport is the primary international airport serving Los Angeles and its Greater Los Angeles, surrounding metropolitan area, in the U.S. state of California. LAX is located in the Westchester, Los Angeles, Westcheste ...
, United States, when it collided with a Piper PA-28 Archer over Cerritos, California
Cerritos (; Spanish for "Little hills") is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, and is one of several cities that constitute the Gateway Cities of southeast Los Angeles County. It was municipal corporation, incorporated on ...
. The resulting crash killed all 67 people on both aircraft and 15 people on the ground in Cerritos.
* On 6 October 2000, Aeroméxico Flight 250 ''N936ML'', a Douglas DC-9-31, overran the runway at General Lucio Blanco International Airport, Reynosa, Mexico, killing 4 people on the ground.
* On 9 September 2009, Aeroméxico Flight 576 was hijacked between Cancún
Cancún is the most populous city in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, located in southeast Mexico on the northeast coast of the Yucatán Peninsula. It is a significant tourist destination in Mexico and the seat of the municipality of Benito J ...
and Mexico City. The hijacking ended in Mexico City with no casualties.
* On 20 May 2017, Aeroméxico Flight 642, a Boeing 737-800
The Boeing 737 Next Generation, commonly abbreviated as 737NG, or 737 Next Gen, is a twinjet, twin-engine narrow-body aircraft produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Launched in 1993 as the third-generation derivative of the Boeing 737, it ha ...
, collided with a utility truck at Los Angeles International Airport
Los Angeles International Airport is the primary international airport serving Los Angeles and its Greater Los Angeles, surrounding metropolitan area, in the U.S. state of California. LAX is located in the Westchester, Los Angeles, Westcheste ...
, injuring 8 people, two of them seriously.
* On 31 July 2018, Aeroméxico Connect Flight 2431 crashed on takeoff from Durango International Airport. Shortly after becoming airborne, the plane encountered sudden wind shear caused by a microburst. The plane rapidly lost speed and altitude and impacted the runway, detaching the engines and skidding to a halt about 1,000 feet (300 m) beyond the runway. The plane caught fire and was destroyed. All 103 people on board survived, but 39 passengers and crew members were injured.
* On 5 January 2023, Aeroméxico Connect Flight 165 operated with an Embraer 190, registration code XA-ALW, aborted takeoff from Culiacán International Airport after being hit by a bullet. The projectile impacted the lower part of the empennage, below the horizontal stabilizer, causing a hydraulic systems failure in the aircraft. Passengers and cabin crew were uninjured. The bullet was shot during a series of clashes between Mexican Armed Forces
The Mexican Armed Forces () are the military forces of the United Mexican States. The Spanish crown established a standing military in colonial Mexico in the eighteenth century. After Mexican independence in 1821, the military played an import ...
and criminal groups in the surroundings of the airport, after a drug cartel leader was captured by Mexican authorities. In the same fashion, two Mexican Air Force
The Mexican Air Force (FAM; ) is the air service branch of the Mexican Armed Forces. It is a component of the Mexican Army and as such overseen by the National Defense Secretariat (SEDENA). The objective of the FAM is to defend the integrity, in ...
airplanes, a B737-800
The Boeing 737 Next Generation, commonly abbreviated as 737NG, or 737 Next Gen, is a twinjet, twin-engine narrow-body aircraft produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Launched in 1993 as the third-generation derivative of the Boeing 737, it ha ...
and a CASA C-295, which were in the airport were damaged.
See also
* Airports and air travel in Mexico
* List of companies of Mexico
* Transportation in Mexico
References
External links
*
Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Aeromexico
Airlines established in 1934
Airlines of Mexico
Companies based in Mexico City
Companies that have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1988
Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2020
Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association
Mexican brands
Mexican companies established in 1934
SkyTeam
Privatized companies in Mexico