On Tuesday, Mexico inaugurated its military operated airline as the maiden Mexicana Airlines flight departed from Mexico City en route to the Caribbean destination of Tulum.
Mexico’s launch of its army-run airline on Tuesday underscored President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s emphasis on the significant role assigned to the country’s armed forces. The military-operated holding company overseeing the airline now manages diverse businesses, including about a dozen airports, hotels, trains, the customs service, and tourist parks.
According to Gen. Luís Cresencio Sandoval, Mexico’s defense secretary, the military’s involvement in various business sectors is “common in developed countries.” However, military-run airlines are relatively uncommon globally, with only a few countries, such as Cuba, Sri Lanka, Argentina, and Colombia, having such carriers, often operating small fleets on underserved or remote domestic routes.
In contrast, Mexicana Airlines plans to serve popular tourist destinations like Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos, Zihuatanejo, Acapulco, and Mazatlan, with flights scheduled every three or four days, primarily on weekends. The airline aims to compete on pricing, offering tickets at approximately $92 for the Mexico City to Tulum route, claimed to be about one-third cheaper than commercial airlines.
However, Mexicana’s inaugural flight faced challenges, with Flight MXA 1788 rerouted to Merida due to adverse weather conditions in Tulum, resulting in a longer travel time. The airline also intends to reach 16 small regional airports with limited or no existing flights.
While Mexico’s air force is part of the army, Mexicana’s cabin crew appeared to be civilians. The airline commenced operations with three Boeing jets and two leased Embraer planes, with plans to acquire or lease five additional jets in early 2024. its military operated airline
President López Obrador celebrated the event as a “historic” moment, marking the return of the once government-run airline Mexicana, which had been privatized, went bankrupt, and closed in 2010. The initiative reflects López Obrador’s reliance on the military’s perceived integrity and patriotism, combined with nostalgia for the era of state-run enterprises that dominated Mexico’s economy until widespread privatizations in the 1980s.