Speaking of phoenixes, it appears that Mexicana will be taking to the skies by Q4 of this year. Good thing I didn’t include them in this post.
But before we get into the latest news, I have fond memories of flying with Mexicana, which was one of the world’s oldest carriers before it went belly-up in 2010. They were my first few flights to (and within) Mexico, on a San Antonio SAT to Acapulco ACA (via Mexico City MEX) roundtrip in 1997. For whatever reason, I also vividly remember being served beef stir-fry and flan in business class. The cabins were clean, the flights on-time, and of all things, I most looked forward to eating at Planet Hollywood Acapulco.
Was I ever that young?
Back to the news reports, the Mexican government has purchased Mexicana de Aviación for about 816 million pesos, or roughly US$48 million as of 9 August. I mention 9 August because that’s the date the transfer of the airline’s brand and assets was finally completed, after months and months of negotiations between the two parties.
Included in those assets are 14 subsidiaries airline brands, two buildings, and a flight simulator. This also means progress has been made to recompense the more than 7,000 former airline employees who remain unpaid since the 2010 insolvency.
Sedena, or Mexico’s Secretariat of National Defense, expects flights to begin as soon as this December. The goal for the revived Mexicana is to connect Mexico City’s relatively new Felipe Ángeles International Airport — with destinations unserved by the competition. Moreover, the brand will be in the LCC (low-cost carrier) vein, to promote tourism and development throughout the country.
Why that airport and not the usual MEX? Ehh, let’s call it bureaucratic amistad (friendship). Then again, MEX is way too crowded, and Texcoco way too underdeveloped (/sarcasm), so it’s the only choice.
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