The first flight of Mexico's new state-owned airline was forced to land unexpectedly

Taylor Rains
·3 min read
5

  • The military-owned airline Mexicana had to divert during its first flight on Tuesday.

  • The previous iteration of the Mexican carrier was one of the oldest in the world before collapsing in 2010.

  • Mexicana hopes to provide more affordable air travel in Mexico and expand to lesser-served cities.

Mexicana was one of the world's oldest airlines before its collapse in 2010. Now, nearly 14 years later, a government-run carrier is up and flying with the same name — but it's not off to a smooth start.

The first Mexicana flight took off on Tuesday, flying from Felipe Ángeles International Airport in Mexico City to Felipe Carrillo Puerto International Airport in the popular beach town of Tulum, the Associated Press reported.

Like the airline, both airports recently opened and are run by the defense department. According to AP, the military does not have any experience managing a commercial operation.

The airline already has a poor on-time arrival rate. During its first flight, Mexicana had to divert the Boeing 737-800 to a small city due to poor weather conditions.

According to data from the aircraft-tracking website FlightAware, the plane sat in Merida for about 90 minutes before taking back off, arriving in Tulum about five and half hours after leaving Mexico City.

Despite the early blunder, Mexicana has plans to expand to 14 initial destinations from its base in Mexico City, according to a route map published on its website.

The government also said the airline expects to add another five planes to its already five-strong fleet of Boeing and Embraer aircraft. The deal is worth 4 billion pesos (about $236 million), Bloomberg reported.

A Mexicana Boeing 737 at the military-run airport in Mexico City.
Mexicana plans to add another five Boeing planes to its fleet.Mexico Presidency/Handout via Reuters

Mexico's president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, is behind the reincarnated Mexicana and its military oversight.

After taking office in 2018, the leader put his trust in the military as an incorruptible force and has given the armed forces control of everything from trains and aviation to hospitality and infrastructure, AP reported.

This includes building the new airports in Tulum and Mexico City and constructing a train line in the Yucatan Penisula, among other projects.

The decision to hand over control to the military stems from the president's dissonance with privately owned companies, which he described during a press event as "thieves" that have committed a "great robbery."

Mexico's president at a press conference on Tuesday for the inaugural flight.
Mexico's president at a press conference on Tuesday for the inaugural flight.Mexico Presidency/Handout via Reuters

With Mexicana now in the hands of the military, Mexico's defense secretary, Luis Cresencio Sandoval, explained the goal is to lower the cost of air travel in Mexico and better connect its cities, covering both lesser-served markets and tourist hot spots.

Tickets for Mexicana's inaugural flight cost about $92, AP reported, which the military claims is one-third of the cost of competing commercial carriers.

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