Mexicana de Aviación to Continue in 2025, Sheinbaum Says

Mexicana de Aviación, Mexico's state-owned airline, will continue its operations into 2025, according to President Claudia Sheinbaum. She reaffirmed her administration's commitment to keeping the airline running despite facing recent challenges such as route cancellations and ongoing legal disputes.

“Mexicana will remain a company for the people of Mexico and will continue flying,” Sheinbaum stated during a recent conference.

The airline is currently conducting a comprehensive review of its strategic plan for 2025, which involves evaluating the performance of its current routes and aircraft leasing contracts. Sheinbaum clarified that the review is meant to optimize operations rather than discontinue certain destinations. "It is simply a review of the strategic plan for 2025," she explained, noting that the process includes renewing aircraft leases and analyzing route performance.

The purpose of reviewing routes is to assess demand and operational needs, which could lead to adjustments for greater efficiency. However, this does not necessarily mean cutting any destinations. Sheinbaum stressed that the review "does not imply abandoning destinations" but is instead aimed at evaluating the performance of routes and determining whether changes are required.

In its first year of operation (2024), Mexicana de Aviación transported 382,000 passengers and completed 7,217 flights. The airline saw steady growth, with 30,000 passengers in March, 43,000 during the summer months, and more than 50,000 by the end of the winter season.

The airline plans to expand its fleet by acquiring Embraer E2 aircraft (manufactured in Brazil). The acquisition will be phased, with five aircraft arriving in 2025, followed by seven in 2026, and eight more in 2027.

Amid ongoing legal matters, the National Institute for Transparency, Access to Information, and Protection of Personal Data (INAI) has instructed the state-owned company, GAFSACOMM, to release the contracts related to aircraft leasing with Petrus Aero Holdings and other companies. Initially, GAFSACOMM withheld the information, citing an ongoing legal case involving a breach of contract dispute with the airline.

However, Norma Julieta del Río Venegas, a commissioner at INAI, ruled that withholding the contracts was unjustified. She emphasized that the contracts are considered public information from their creation and that the ongoing litigation in the United States does not provide grounds for keeping them confidential. The contracts were signed before the lawsuit was filed and are unrelated to the legal proceedings.

In March 2024, SAT Aero Holdings (formerly known as Petrus Aero Holdings) filed a lawsuit against Mexicana de Aviación in a New York federal court. The company is seeking US$838.5 million in damages, plus an additional US$2.4 million in costs. The lawsuit alleges Mexicana's failure to pay US$5.5 million in deposits for the lease of two aircraft.

SAT Aero Holdings also accuses the airline of refusing to sign required documents with financial institutions and lessors, which led to the breach of contract lawsuit.