Aeroméxico facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Aeroméxico

Founded	14 September 1934; 90 years ago (1934-09-14) (as Aeronaves de México S.A. de C.V.)
Commenced operations	14 September 1934; 90 years ago (1934-09-14) (as Aeronaves de México S.A. de C.V.) 1 October 1988; 36 years ago (1988-10-01) (as Aerovias de México S.A. de C.V.)
AOC #	ASMF152F
Hubs	Mexico City
Secondary hubs	Guadalajara Monterrey
Frequent-flyer program	Aeroméxico Rewards
Alliance	SkyTeam/SkyTeam Cargo
Subsidiaries	Delta Air Lines (20%) (Shared) Aeroméxico Cargo Aeroméxico Connect Aeroméxico Contigo Aeroméxico Express Aeroméxico Servicios
Fleet size	108
Destinations	94
Parent company	Grupo Aeroméxico
Headquarters	Torre MAPFRE, Mexico City, Mexico
Key people	Andrés Conesa Labastida (CEO)
Revenue	US$ 1.3247 billion (2020)
Net income	-US$ 1.9753 billion (2020)
Employees	13,880 (2023)

Aeroméxico is the main airline of Mexico, based in Mexico City. It flies to over 90 places in Mexico, North, South, and Central America, the Caribbean, Europe, and Asia. Its main airport hub is Mexico City, with other important hubs in Guadalajara and Monterrey. The company's main office is in the Torre MAPFRE building in Mexico City.

Aeroméxico is part of a larger group called Grupo Aeroméxico. This group also includes Aeroméxico Connect, which handles regional flights, and Aeroméxico Contigo, which offers special services on some flights between the U.S. and Mexico. Aeroméxico is one of the four airlines that started the SkyTeam airline alliance. The other founding members are Air France, Delta Air Lines, and Korean Air.

Aeroméxico works closely with the U.S. airline Delta Air Lines. Delta owns a part of Aeroméxico. In 2017, they started a special agreement to share information, costs, and earnings on all their flights between the United States and Mexico. This helps them work together like one big airline on these routes.

History of Aeroméxico

Aeroméxico has a long and interesting history, starting way back in the 1930s.

How it Started (1934)

The airline began on September 15, 1934, and was first called Aeronaves de México. Antonio Díaz Lombardo founded it. Its very first plane was a Stinson SR Reliant 5A. The first flight was piloted by Julio Zinser on September 14, 1934, flying from Mexico City to Acapulco.

An early Bellanca aircraft of Aeroméxico, flying between Mexico City and Acapulco around 1935.

An Aeronaves de Mexico Bristol Britannia at New York International Airport in 1958.

Growing Years (1940s-1950s)

During World War II, the airline kept growing with some help from Pan Am. Over the next two decades, Aeronaves de México bought smaller airlines across the country. This included Aerovías Guest, which had routes to Madrid and Paris. The airline added new planes like the Douglas DC-3 and Douglas DC-4.

In the late 1950s, the airline started using Douglas DC-6s and Bristol Britannias. The Britannias were the first turboprop planes in their fleet. In 1958, they began flights to Idlewild Airport (now JFK) in New York. This route became very successful. In 1959, the Mexican government took ownership of the airline.

Entering the Jet Age (1960s)

In the early 1960s, Aeronaves de México started to replace its older propeller planes with new jet aircraft. The first jets were two Douglas DC-8s, used for flights within Mexico and to New York City. In 1963, Aeronaves de México officially took over Aerovias Guest, combining the two airlines. More DC-8s were added later, and flights to Europe started again.

Changes and New Planes (1970s)

An Aeronaves de Mexico Douglas DC-8 at Toronto International Airport in 1971.

The 1970s brought big changes. In 1970, the Mexican government brought all domestic airlines under the control of Aeronaves de México. In 1972, the airline changed its name from "Aeronaves de México" to the shorter "Aeroméxico" and introduced a new orange and black color scheme for its planes.

Aeroméxico was one of the first airlines to order the McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30, receiving its first one in 1974. They also got their first McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32s that same year. During this time, Aeroméxico became very well-known, partly because its planes were often shown in Mexican movies. Flights to Canada also began.

Expansion and Challenges (1980s)

The early 1980s saw more growth for Aeroméxico. They added new DC-10 planes and were one of the first airlines to use the McDonnell Douglas MD-80, which is a longer version of the DC-9. More DC-9 planes were also added to the fleet.

On August 31, 1986, Aeroméxico had a serious accident when Aeroméxico Flight 498, a Douglas DC-9, crashed near Los Angeles International Airport. All 64 people on the plane, three people in a small plane that hit it, and 15 people on the ground died. After an investigation, it was found that the small plane had flown into an area meant for commercial flights by mistake.

In April 1988, the airline faced difficulties and stopped flying for three months. A new plan was put in place to make the airline private again. It started flying again with a new company name, Aerovias de Mexico SA de CV, and some of its original planes and staff.

Modernizing the Fleet (1990s)

An Aeroméxico Boeing 767-200ER at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris in 2001.

The early 1990s were a challenging time with higher fuel costs and competition from new airlines. In 1991, Aeroméxico introduced its first Boeing 767 planes. These new planes helped them start direct flights to Madrid and Paris from Mexico City.

In 1992, Aeroméxico bought Aeroperú, an airline from Peru. In 1993, Grupo Aeroméxico also took over Mexicana, which was the second-largest airline in Mexico. Between 1994 and 1995, the airline retired its six DC-10 aircraft.

Due to an economic crisis in Mexico in late 1994, Aeroméxico had to reduce its flights and return some planes. Flights to Frankfurt and Rome were canceled, and some staff retired early. The airline slowly recovered between 1996 and 1998.

Into the New Millennium (2000s)

An Aeroméxico Boeing 737-700 in 2004.

From 2000 to 2005, Aeroméxico had about 60 planes. On June 22, 2000, Aeroméxico, along with Air France, Delta, and Korean Air, created the SkyTeam global airline alliance.

In 2003, the airline started getting new Boeing 737-700 planes. In 2006, Aeroméxico began direct flights between Japan and Mexico City, stopping in Tijuana. This was possible after they bought two Boeing 777-200ERs. Aeroméxico was one of the few airlines in Latin America to fly regularly to Asia.

In 2007, a company called Banamex bought Aeroméxico. In 2010, Aeroméxico's main competitor, Mexicana de Aviacion, stopped flying.

Recent Developments (2010s)

Working with Delta

In 2011, Delta Air Lines and Aeroméxico made their partnership even stronger. Delta invested money in Aeroméxico and got a seat on its board.

• In 2014, they opened a joint maintenance and repair facility in Mexico.
• In 2015, they started working towards a "joint cooperation agreement" (JCA) to share sales, costs, and profits on all Mexico–U.S. flights.
• This agreement was approved in 2016 and officially started on May 8, 2017. This means they work together very closely on flights between the two countries.
• In 2017, Delta also announced it wanted to buy more shares of Aeroméxico, up to 49%.

Dreamliners

On July 25, 2012, Aeroméxico announced it would buy six Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners. These were added to an earlier order for 20 planes, including nine Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners. The first Dreamliners arrived in 2013. The airline also ordered 90 Boeing 737 MAX 8s, which started arriving in 2018.

In September 2016, Aeroméxico received its first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. This plane, named XA-ADL, has a special paint job of Quetzalcoatl, a famous figure from ancient Aztec culture. This design was chosen from a competition for students in Mexico.

Ticket Options

In February 2018, Aeroméxico introduced new ticket options, including a "Basic" fare. This fare did not include free checked bags, seat assignments, or the ability to change flights.

Facing Challenges (2020)

The COVID-19 pandemic greatly affected airlines worldwide, including Aeroméxico. On June 30, 2020, Aeroméxico began a process in the United States to reorganize its business. This allowed the company to keep flying and paying its employees while it worked to become stronger. On July 1, 2021, Delta Air Lines announced it would help Aeroméxico by purchasing some of its debt.

Corporate Affairs

Headquarters

Aeroméxico's main office is in the Colonia Cuauhtémoc area of Mexico City.

Subsidiaries

• Aeroméxico Connect: This is a regional airline that flies shorter routes. It used to be called Aerolitoral.

Former Subsidiaries

Aeroméxico has had other companies as part of its group in the past, including:

• Aeroméxico Contigo: A brand for specific flights between the U.S. and Mexico.
• Aerovias Guest
• Aeroperú: Peru's national airline.
• Mexicana: Another large Mexican airline, which Aeroméxico owned for a few years.
• Aeromexpress: A company that handled cargo.
• Aeroméxico Travel: An airline that focused on charter flights.

An Aeroméxico Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner painted in special Quetzalcoatl livery.

Company Slogans

Aeroméxico has used different slogans over the years:

• 1960s–1970s – Mexico's largest airline
• 1990s – La línea aérea mas puntual del mundo. (The world's most punctual airline.)
• Before 2009 – Travel the world (Vamos por el mundo)
• 2010–2012 – A donde te lleven tus sueños. (Where your dreams take you.)
• 2012–2013 – Nunca nos detenemos. (We never stop.)
• 2013–present – La línea que nos une. (The airline that unites us.)
• 2016–present – La línea de los Mexicanos y del mundo. (The airline of Mexicans and the world.)
• English slogan: "Mexico's Global Airline"

Technology on Board

An Aeroméxico Boeing 787-9 economy class cabin

In 2016, Aeroméxico started offering WiFi service on some of its planes, including access to Netflix. On its Boeing 787 Dreamliners, it added Panasonic internet. On smaller Embraer planes, passengers can stream entertainment.

In July 2016, the airline launched a new website and new check-in machines at Mexico City airport. In 2017, they also launched a new mobile app.

Chatbot Service

In September 2016, Aeroméxico became the first airline in the Americas to use a chatbot. This means customers can search for flights, track them, and book them by talking to a virtual assistant on Facebook Messenger. In 2017, they added the ability to ask any question, using artificial intelligence to find answers.

In September 2017, Aeroméxico also started offering customer service through WhatsApp. They plan to add more features like purchase confirmations and flight notifications through WhatsApp.

Where Aeroméxico Flies

New Places to Fly

Aeroméxico has expanded its network to reach more places around the world. In 2006, it started flights to Tokyo from Mexico City, with a stop in Tijuana. Service to Shanghai from Mexico City (via Tijuana) began in May 2008.

Between 2015 and 2016, new destinations included Panama City (Panama), Santo Domingo, Vancouver, Toronto, Boston, Medellín, Amsterdam, Cozumel, and Austin (Texas). The airline also started flights to Seoul from Mexico City in July 2017.

Thanks to its partnership with Delta, Aeroméxico has added many new flights and more frequent services between Mexico and the U.S. These include routes like Los Angeles-Cabo San Lucas, New York JFK-Cancun, and Detroit-León.

Partner Airlines

Aeroméxico works with many other airlines to offer more flight options. This is called a codeshare agreement. Here are some of its partners:

Aeroméxico's Fleet

An Aeroméxico Boeing 737-800

An Aeroméxico Boeing 787-8

Current Planes

Aeroméxico uses only Boeing planes for its main flights. As of March 2024, its fleet includes:

This list does not include planes used by its regional airline, Aeroméxico Connect.

Past Planes

Aeroméxico has used many different types of aircraft throughout its history, including:

See Also

In Spanish: Aeroméxico para niños

• Airports and air travel in Mexico
• List of companies of Mexico
• Transportation in Mexico