Mexico’s skies are about to get a lot busier as several new airlines emerge from the pandemic aftermath and the financial calamities of two, now defunct, discount carriers.
Poor management forced Interjet and Aeromar to ground their fleets and shut up shop in 2021 and 2022. Neither was able to recover from the crippling consequences of the pandemic, although the panorama has shifted since those dark days. Air travel has rebounded quickly, with the number of foreign visitors arriving by plane so far this year—nine million from January to May—outstripping 2019 (the year before the pandemic). This winter season, American Airlines will operate four daily flights between DFW and Puerto Vallarta and five to Los Cabos, while other airlines will likely follow suit and boost up their schedules to Mexico.
The domestic scene is also undergoing change. The main low-cost carriers, Volaris and Viva Aerobus, benefitted from the downfall of two of their competitors and have been expanding quickly. Last week, Viva Aerobus signed a “Memorandum of Understanding” for 90 A321neo aircraft to drive its international and domestic growth, airline industry sources confirm.
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