Aeromexico cuts fleet and axes routes as losses bite

Aeromexico has confirmed today that it is cutting its fleet as its losses mount and costs continue to rise during challenging times for the aviation industry.

The company says it will retire three Embraer 170s and two Boeing 737-700s from service after a fleet review in an effort to ensure fleet flexibility and reduces its operational costs. Aeromexico has continued to deliver an operating profit, the company has delivered a net loss so far this year. 

As a result of this capacity reduction, these aircraft retirements will cause, the airline will suspend a number of routes, including - Mexico City to Boston, Washington Dulles & Portland; Monterrey to Las Vegas, Tijuana, Merida & Veracruz; and Guadalajara to Cancun and San Jose, California. Aeromexico has indicated that the affected routes will start to be halted during the spring of 2019.  

September passenger numbers up for Aeromexico

Aeromexico reported its September 2018 operational results a little earlier this week. The group transported 1 million 715 thousand passengers in September; a 8.7% year-on-year increase. International passenger numbers increased by 5.1%, while domestic passenger numbers increased by 10.7%.

Demand, measured in Revenue Passenger Kilometers (RPKs), increased by 7.8%, year-on-year. Aeromexico's capacity, measured in Available Seat Kilometers (ASKs), increased by 7.2% year-on-year.  Aeromexico's September load factor was 81.0%, 0.4 p.p. higher than September 2017.

Mexico City International Airport Leads Latin America Region

Mexico City International Airport Leads Latin America Region in International Connectivity for Second Straight Year, According to OAG’s 2018 Megahubs Index

According to the latest data from OAG, the leading provider of digital flight information, Mexico City International Airport is the most internationally connected airport in Latin America. This is the second year in a row the airport finished number one in International Connectivity for the region.

Mexico City International Airport (MEX) is the most connected airport in Latin America, ranking 20th in International Connectivity and 12th in low-cost carrier connectivity.

Brazil’s Sao Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport (GRU) increased its Connectivity Index (CI) by 11 points this year and came in 37th overall. The airport secured the 21st spot in the Low-Cost International Megahubs category.

Colombia’s El Dorado International Airport (BOG) ranked 39th on the list of Top 50 International Megahubs. Panama’s Tocumen International Airport (PTY) ranked 47th overall.

London Heathrow (LHR) is the most connected international airport in the world, followed closely behind by Chicago O’Hare (ORD).

OAG’s Megahubs International Index 2018 reveals the world’s top 50 most-connected airports for international services, as measured by the highest ratio of scheduled connections to the number of destinations served. Mexico City International Airport (MEX; CI: 181) finished 20th for International Connectivity, 50 points ahead of Latin America’s second most connected hub, Brazil’s Sao Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport (GRU; CI: 131), which came in 37th place and increased its Connectivity Index by 11 points over last year.

Aeromexico to install Viasat in-flight WiFi to new 737 Max aircraft

Aeromexico has confirmed today that it will deploy the Viasat in-flight internet system across 18 new Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, with an option to extend up to 60 aircraft. The first line-fit installations of Viasat's equipment has already begun.

Aeromexico evaluated the Viasat in-flight internet service against competitor offerings and chose Viasat based on its proven, scalable network platform. Aeromexico's ability to tap into the ViaSat-2 satellite as well as Viasat's future satellites, gave the airline great confidence it would be able to offer the best service quality with:

Optimal in-flight Wi-Fi reliability for the best and most consistent online experience gate-to-gate.
Fast onboard internet speeds ensuring passengers and crew have advanced streaming, downloading and web browsing capabilities.
High value internet performance as Viasat's satellite system offers significant capacity and competitive bandwidth to Aeromexico's flight routes.
A futureproofed approach to in-flight Wi-Fi, that will give Aeromexico access to the top-of-the-market advanced satellite communications system and spacecraft innovations to meet the growing broadband demands of the fully connected aircraft.

Microburst - a factor in the Aeromexico Connect E190 crash but Aeromexico still sacks the pilots

The Mexican Investigators charged with looking into the crash of an Embraer E190 of Aeromexico Connect at Durango, Mexico, on 31st July this year have issued a preliminary report which indicates that a microburst wind shear event was a factor in the crash.

The aircraft, an Embraer ERJ-190-100 registration  XA-GAL operated by Aeroméxico Connect was performing Flight AM2431 on 31st July was talking off from Guadalupe Victoria International Airport 's runway 03.  It had reached a height of 30 feet when it suddenly came down and collided with the ground, a fire then ensued, but remarkably all 105 people on the aircraft survived. 

Aeromexico's August

The Aeromexico group today reported its August 2018 operational results, which saw the airline increase its passenger numbers by 4.1% to nearly 2 million.

The increases were seen both on international and domestic routes, international passenger numbers increased by 5.7%, while domestic passenger numbers increased by 3.1%. Demand, measured in Revenue Passenger Kilometers (RPKs), increased by 6.0%, year-on-year. Aeromexico's capacity, measured in Available Seat Kilometers (ASKs), increased by 6.4% year-on-year.

Aeromexico's August load factor was 83.8%.

Belize will be 50th international destination for Aeromexico

Aeromexico has announced that it's 50th international destination will be the city of Belize when the carrier starts a twice-weekly winter service ion November this year.

The flights will operate on Saturdays and Sundays and will run every week from 7th November until 28th April next year. The flights are scheduled to leave Mexico City at 0830 with an arrival time of 1030 at Belize. The return flight sector leaves at 1200 and gets back into Mexico City at 1415, local time. 

Aeromexico’s Chief Revenue Officer, Anko van der Werff said “At Aeromexico, we are very happy to announce this new route that has also become the airline’s 50th international destination, which will help us expand our global connectivity network. This achievement is another sign that we are working to offer better products to our customers, removing barriers between countries, regions, and

people.”

Aeromexico's July figures

Aeromexico reported its July 2018 operational results this week, which showed the carrier recorded a record load of more than 2.8 million passengers in July, that's a 6.5 percent increase on the same period last year. The airline also advised that international passenger numbers increased by 5.7 percent, and a greater increase was seen in domestic travel which increased by 7.1 percent.

Aeromexico's July load factor was 88.3 percent, compared to July 2017,  demand, measured in Revenue Passenger Kilometers (RPKs), increased by 6.3 percent, year-on-year. Aeromexico's capacity, measured in Available Seat Kilometers (ASKs), increased by 5.9percent year-on-year.

Law firm files claims against Aeromexico for crash on 31st July

The investigation may only be days old, not all the facts are known yet, no results are known, no blame has been attributed, but that hasn't stopped

Chicago law firm Corboy & Demetrio from filing six lawsuits on behalf of 11 passengers on Aeromexico Flight AM2431.

The aircraft crashed immediately after take-off om Durango Mexico on a flight heading for Mexico City during a heavy storm on 31st July 2018. Corboy & Demetrio Co-founder Thomas A. Demetrio said "All of the people on this flight have the right to know exactly what caused the plane to crash.  A plane just doesn't drop from the sky because it's raining hard." 

Corboy & Demetrio have a long history for taking legal actions against airlines and aviation companies, they advise on their site they represented Dr David Dao, whose mistreatment by an airline captured the attention of the world.  It also says on the website "you should not act or rely upon any information contained on this site".

103 people survive Embraer 190 crash in Durango, Mexico - Aeromexico issue statement

Looking at the news reports and photos, it is remarkable that anyone got out of the wreckage of the Aeromexico Connect Embraer 190 aircraft alive, yet astonishingly, all 103 people on board survived the crash.

The aircraft, registration XA-GAL, had just taken off from Guadalupe Victoria International / Durango International Airport operating flight AM2431 to Mexico City when the crash happened.

According to state Governor José Rosas Aispuro the aircraft was hit by a gust of wind, which caused the sudden descent. Its left wing then came in contact with the ground and both engines came off.  The Governor also said the cabin crew were able to deploy the evacuation slides shortly after the crash when the aircraft came to a halt, which allowed those still on board to leave the plane safely before the flames spread and many of the passengers were able to walk and run from the aircraft.

It is understood that the pilot is one of two people that were seriously injured in the crash and is said to have had a spinal operation. A young girl was the other seriously injured person, sustaining burns.  Ninety-seven other people were taken to hospital, yet the vast majority had only "very light" injuries, officials have said.

(Photo  AFP)

Jacqueline Flores a passenger on the E190 has been telling local media of her ordeal,  "When we were already aloft, up high, it felt like the plane was going to level out but just then it plunged to the ground," she said. "I think we fell back on the runway because it was a hard surface, then we skidded on the ground until it stopped," 

Aeromexico Embraer E190 crashes on take off from Durango

An Aeromexico Connect Embraer E190 has crashed whilst operating flight AM2431 today.

The aircraft, registration XA-GAL, had been scheduled to operate between Durango to Mexico City today. Early indications are that some passengers may have survived the crash.

Remarkably there are no reports of fatalities on the ill-fated aircraft when it crashed shortly after taking off from Guadalupe Victoria Durango International Airport in Durango state.  Mexico's nation's transport minister said the aircraft had 97 passengers and 4 crew were on the aircraft a the time of the crash and many injured have been transported to local hospital.

Aeromexico said it is aware of the crash working to obtain more details.

Aeromexico Q2 results

Grupo Aeromexico reported its unaudited consolidated results for the second quarter 2018 earlier this week, which showed Aeromexico's second quarter 2018 revenue reached $17.3 billion pesos, a 19.1% year-on-year increase.

The June numbers for Aeromexico

Aeromexico reported its June 2018 operational results earlier this week.

• Grupo Aeromexico transported 1 million 861 thousand passengers in June; a 5.5% year-on-year increase. International passenger numbers increased by 10.5%, while domestic passenger numbers increased by 2.9%.
• Demand, measured in Revenue Passenger Kilometers (RPKs), increased by 8.1%, year-on-year. Aeromexico's capacity, measured in Available Seat Kilometers (ASKs), increased by 7.7% year-on-year.
• Aeromexico's June load factor was 82.9%, an increase of 0.3 p.p. compared to June 2017.

Aeromexico to start two new routes in November.

One of the leading Mexican airlines, Aeromexico has announced two new services starting this November. The carrier will operate to the new destinations in Central America and the Caribbean from its home base hub, Mexico City.  Beginning on 2nd and 10th November the airline will begin offering flights to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic and Liberia, Costa Rica.

Both routes will be operated by Embraer 190 with passenger capacities of 99, including 11 seats in  Premier.

The flight schedules are as follows:

Mexico City - Punta Cana

AM2654 11:30pm - 06:10am - Friday and Saturday.

Punta Cana - Mexico City

AM2655 12:00pm - 03:10pm - Friday and Saturday.

Mexico City - Liberia, Costa Rica

AM2656 08:15am - 11:05am - Friday and Saturday.

Liberia, Costa Rica - Mexico City

AM 2657 12:05pm - 03:05pm Saturday and Sunday.

The schedules are in local time for each country and subject to change without notice.

Aeromexico's Chief Revenue Officer, Anko van der Werff, weighed in: "These routes are evidence of the major effort we put into offering a better product to our clients. Moreover, this is the first time Mexico City will be connected directly to Liberia and Punta Cana."

"As a result of these two new routes, our passengers can now reach 10 different destinations in Central America and the Caribbean. This is on top of operating around 210 weekly routes with 23,000 available seats every week. With the launch of these routes, we're continuing to reinforce our commitment in offering the best connectivity and flight experience to all of our passengers."

The airline will also be increasing its capacity on the Mexico City – Vancouver route between 15th December this year and March next year with a third flight on Saturdays.  The flight is scheduled to depart Mexico City at 0820 arriving Vancouver at 1240 with the return timed to leave at 1405 and land back in Mexico City at 2155. 

The month of May saw rises for Aeromexico

Aeromexico today reported May 2018 operational results, which saw the carrier transport 1 million 824 thousand passengers during May; a 6.8% year-on-year increase. The International passenger numbers also increased, this time by 12.0%, while domestic passenger numbers increased by 4.2%.

Demand, measured in Revenue Passenger Kilometers (RPKs), increased by 9.9%, year-on-year. Aeromexico's capacity, measured in Available Seat Kilometers (ASKs), increased by 9.6% year-on-year.

Delta and Aeromexico celebrate successful first year of joint cooperation agreement

One year ago, Delta Air Lines and Grupo Aeroméxico, S.A.B. de C.V. launched the first transborder airline alliance with antitrust immunity between Mexico and the United States. Since then, more than 7 million passengers have enjoyed improved connectivity, more convenient schedules and increasingly seamless service between the two carriers.

Today, Delta and Aeromexico together offer more than 1,100 weekly flights on 64 routes between 10 cities in Mexico and 33 in the U.S. The partnership has launched eight new routes and two new joint destinations in Mexico and allowed co-location in nine airports in the U.S., six of which are Delta hubs, and three Aeromexico hubs in Mexico, making travel between the two airlines easier for customers.

Aeromexico Reports April 2018 Traffic Results

Aeromexico reported its operational results for April 2018 this week advising that as a group it transported 1 million 802 thousand passengers in April, a 6.9% year-on-year increase. 

International passenger numbers increased by 3.9%, while domestic passenger numbers increased by 8.6%. Demand, measured in Revenue Passenger Kilometers (RPKs), increased by 9.5%, year-on-year. Aeromexico's capacity, measured in Available Seat Kilometers (ASKs), increased by 10.6% year-on-year.

  

Aeromexico's April load factor was 82.3%, a decrease of 0.8 p.p. compared to April 2017.

Aeromexico reports first quarter results for 2018

Aeromexico reported its unaudited consolidated results for the first quarter 2018 earlier this week.

One of the major achievements by the group was a 15.9 percent increase in first quarter revenue for 2018 compared to last year.  It was also the 32nd consecutive quarter that the airline saw positive results. 

Here's the key highlights

Aeromexico March Figures Released

Aeromexico reported its March 2018 operational results during the week - 

Highlights included - Aeromexico transported 1 million 799 thousand passengers in March; a 7.1% year-on-year increase. International passenger numbers increased by 18.3%, while domestic passenger numbers increased by 1.5%.

Demand, measured in Revenue Passenger Kilometers (RPKs), increased by 15.3%, year-on-year. Aeromexico's capacity, measured in Available Seat Kilometers (ASKs), increased by 14.0% year-on-year.

Aeromexico's March load factor was 80.2%, an increase of 0.9 p.p. compared to March 2017.

 

Aeromexico renews strategic partnership with Sabre

Sabre Corporation the leading technology provider to the global travel industry, has renewed its partnership with Aeromexico – Mexico's flag carrier that services 90 destinations in 25 countries. This agreement fortifies a long-standing partnership between the companies, with an emphasis on meeting the airline's evolving business and technology needs while providing access to new capabilities across retailing, distribution and fulfillment.