DALLAS — Mexican startup airline, Aerus (ZV) has announced that it will begin operations on April 27 and operate five regional routes totaling 450 monthly flights from its base at Monterrey International Airport. (MTY).
The airline will begin operations with a fleet of three Cessna Grand Caravan EX turboprops. A fourth Cessna is on the way along with two Textron Aviation Cessna 408 SkyCourier twin-engine turboprops.
Additionally, ZV signed a letter of intent in January for 30 nine-seater Alice aircraft from Eviation, making the startup Mexico’s first all-electric aircraft operator.
Initial Route Network
Aerus plans to launch the Cessna operations from a base at MTY in the northeastern Mexican state of Nuevo León with routes to Ciudad Victoria, Matamoros, Piedras Negras, and Tampico. The Monterrey-based startup will offer point-to-point flights primarily to business travelers but plans to use Alice to connect smaller, unserved regions.
The Federal Civil Aviation Agency of Mexico granted permission for ZV’s corporate entity, Aerotransportes Rafilher, a member of the Herrera Group, to start regularly scheduled flights in May 2022.
Aerus
The airline hopes to take the place of Aeromar (VW), which ceased operations in February.
Aerus plans to invest approximately US$98m over the next three years. The company will begin with 100 employees, many former Aeromar employees. Its business model is regional, with a focus on filling gaps left by other carriers.
Aerus has stated that it would be interested in flying to the United States in the near future once Mexico regains Category 1 status.
Featured image: Eviation
