New International Airline Lands at AIFA

New Dominican low-cost airline Arajet announced its entrance to Mexico, connecting Mexico City, Cancun and Monterrey to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Its first flight to Mexico City is scheduled to arrive on Sep. 15 at Felipe Angeles International Airport (AIFA) and will fly to Mexico thrice weekly.

Arajet's arrival in Mexico is an opportunity to strengthen flight options for domestic consumers who wish to resume their travel plans to the Dominican Republic and the Caribbean, reads Arajet's press release. Its flights are priced from US$55 for one-way tickets to US$149 for round trips, taxes included.

Arajet will join Venezuela’s Conviasa, Viva Aerobus and Copa Airlines as the first airlines to offer international flights from AIFA (to Caracas, La Habana and Panama City, respectively).

Buckle up! This is the Week in Aerospace!

Air Cargo Demand Hit by Inflation, Fuel Prices

Worldwide air cargo movement decreased by 6.4 percent in June 2022 compared to last year, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA). If inflation continues growing at this rate, the sector will suffer substantial repercussions, warned the association. In Mexico, beside the rise of inflation, cargo operators also have to adapt their strategies to AIFA, which might increase costs.

Passenger Demand Continues to Surge: IATA

IATA announced that the aviation industry continues to recover, showing positive results in June 2022. Total traffic measured in revenue passenger kilometers (RPK) in June 2022 grew by 76.2 percent compared to June 2021. Domestic traffic grew by 5.2 percent that month as markets continue to implement strong improvements and ease Omicron-related lockdown restrictions. Total traffic was at 81.4 percent of June 2019’s level.

A Roadmap for Migrating to the Aerospace Industry

“The aerospace clusters in Mexico are helping companies to migrate into the aerospace industry. Our country offers highly qualified human capital and very relevant experience in other manufacturing sectors, such as automotive, medical devices and oil and gas. This is a great platform to start a transition to the aerospace sector; however, it is not enough to achieve a successful migration,” wrote for MBN Alberto Robles, Strategic Supply Chain Manager, General Electric Infrastructure Queretaro.

Read his full article on the challenges and opportunities of migrating to the aerospace industry here.

This Week’s Interviews:

• Airports in the Valley of Mexico Must Define Roles, with Cuitláhuac Gutiérrez, Country Manager, CANAERO.
• Simulation, HPC and AI: Tools to Capitalize on Real-Time Data, with Ottmar Kappes, Country Manager, Altair Engineering.
• Aviation Industry to Recover by the End of 2022, with Oscar Arguello, Director General, ASA.