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DALLAS — Mexico moves ahead with its plan to launch a state-owned airline under the defunct Mexicana de Aviación (MX) brand later this year.
According to local media reports that surfaced this week, the Mexican government reached an agreement with Boeing and the U.S. aircraft manufacturer will supply planes to the airline. However, it is not clear what type it will be.
On May 1, the Mexican government tweeted on its official account that Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador "confirmed that the new Mexicana de Aviación will begin operations this year after the Senate approved its creation last Friday." He also said that his country is in negotiations to secure Boeing airplanes.
Aviation news outlet Aviacionline.com reported in January that the airline would be run by the military and the fleet was expected to consist of 10 planes. The government bought Mexicana's assets earlier this year for 816.8m Mexican pesos (US$45m).
Year-long Plan for Obrador
Last October, Obrador mentioned that a military-run airline could take off in about a year and operate a fleet of 10 leased aircraft, including the presidential Boeing 787 jet.
“An airline is being considered,” the president said then, as stated on ABC News, adding it could be named “Mexicana” after the defunct, partly state-owned carrier that went into bankruptcy in 2010, or “something to do with Mexico.”
Apart from boosting traffic at the currently underused Felipe Ángeles International Airport (NLU), the army-run airline would provide flights to feed passengers into the Maya Train tourism project.
Mexican aviation blog En El Aire stated on May 4 that Boeing was "working with the government of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador to support the Mexicana Airlines Project."
Boeing of America added that Boeing and Mexico had been partners for more than 60 years and that the country played an important role in the company's global strategy.
Mexico is Boeing's largest supplier in Latin America and one of the world's 10 largest suppliers of aircraft components and assemblies. Will we see the return of MX under the helm of the Mexican state? Be sure to leave your comments on our social media channels.
Featured image: Mexicana de Aviación. Photo: Roberto Leiro/Airways
https://airwaysmag.com/mexico-new-military-run-airline/
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