Are Mexicana flights in the future for Fresno, Sacramento airports? This is what we know
With the resurrection last month of Mexicana de Aviación, some may wonder if the Mexican-based airline will have international flights to Fresno and Sacramento to provide another option for Valley residents looking for nonstop travel to México.
According to the airline’s official website, Mexicana currently offers domestic flights from México City’s Felipe Ángeles International Airport to 15 different destinations in México, including Tijuana.
When contacted about the possibility of international fights to Fresno Yosemite International Airport or Sacramento International Airport, Mexicana responded by email that “we regret to inform you that international flights are not in the short/medium term plans.”
Vikkie Calderón, media and public relations officer for the Fresno airport, said that “while there currently has been no communications with Mexicana about serving Fresno Yosemite International Airport, airport leadership continually markets Fresno to incumbent airlines as well as new airlines in efforts to expand existing air service or attract new destinations.”
Currently the Fresno airport is served by AeroMéxico and Volaris with international direct flights to three destinations in México: Guadalajara, León, and Morelia.
Volaris operates 20 weekly departure flights from Fresno to Guadalajara, León, and Morelia. Aeroméxico operates one daily flight to Guadalajara.
A total of 157,682 passengers departed from Fresno to México in year 2023, according to Calderón.
The Fresno airport continues construction of the terminal expansion project to accommodate current and future air travel demands in the area.
“This expansion will position FAT to accommodate business and leisure travel growth in the years ahead,” said Calderón. “Construction on the terminal expansion will include a new concourse wing with two additional aircraft gates, expanded passenger screening checkpoint, a new Federal Inspection Station (FIS) for international arrivals with an added waiting area for friends and family.”
Mexicana de Aviación was founded in 1921 as México’s first commercial airline and North America’s oldest airline. It is the world’s fourth oldest airline operating under the same name, after the Netherlands’s KLM, Colombia’s Avianca, and Australia’s Qantas. In addition to domestic services, Mexicana operated flights to various international destinations in North América, Central América, the Caribbean, South America and Europe.
It ceased operations in 2010, almost nine decades after it was founded. It declared bankruptcy in 2014.
The airline was rescued by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador in 2023, to be operated by the Mexican military as Aerolínea del Estado Mexicano using Mexicana name.
It resumed flying on Dec. 26 with its first flight, a Boeing 737-800, which departed from México City to the new Tulum Airport.
Both airports were built by the López Obrador government and are managed by the armed forces.
According to a press release from the Secretary of National Defense (SEDENA), during a press conference on Jan. 9, the deputy director general of Mexicana de Aviación, Gen. Leobardo Ávila Bojórquez, highlighted the daily actions of the airline since it started operations at the end of December 2023.
Ávila Bojórquez said that 220 flights have been completed, representing more than 280 flight hours with a projection of 604 flight hours per month.
Of the 220 flights, 16 are daily, 112 weekly and 448 are monthly, he said.
He added that Mexicana de Aviación has transported 7,829 passengers, including 6,960 adults, 769 minors and 100 infants.
According to Ávila Bojórquez, the response from users has been satisfactory, which is reflected in the 14,162 reservations made on the official website mexican.gob.mx until June of this year.
During the first 14 days of operations, the destinations with the highest demand were: Tulum (738 passengers), Tijuana (421), and Mérida (344).
Ávila Bojórquez said Mexicana is increasing crews and aircraft by increasing destinations and frequencies, responding to transportation demands.
