Aeroméxico

Aeroméxico Logo

Aeroméxico, one of Mexico's two major airline companies, was founded in 1934, with the help of Pan Am, who owned 40 percent of the new Mexican airline. The airline was initially known as Aeronaves de México.

Aeroméxico saw few changes for the next two decades, but during the 1950s, renovation began, and they took over various competitor companies, including a carrier called Aerovias Guest who was the original owner of the routes to Madrid and Paris, (still being operated by 767's) adding using aircraft like the legendary Douglas DC-3 and its successor, the DC-4.

In 1958, services were inaugurated to Los Angeles using the venerable Bristol Britannia. The Mexico City-Los Angeles route would prove profitable for Aeroméxico and its North American competitors.

Aeroméxico started changing its piston-engined planes for the new jets during the 1960s, joining the worldwide airline industry evolution of that era. The first jet to join "Aeronaves"' fleet was the Douglas DC-8, followed by a series of DC-9's during the mid 60's. This enabled the airline to gradually expand its international services.

The 1970s brought dramatic changes for Aeroméxico. The first 2 DC-10-30's arrived the XA-DUG and XA-DUH, the airline changed its name from "Aeronaves de México" to its current, shortened version of Aeroméxico. During this period the airline's popularity and visibility grew dramatically: in part due to Aeroméxico's involvement in Mexican movies. Basically, every time a character in any movie produced in Mexico had to fly somewhere, they supposedly flew on Aeroméxico.

The 1980s were tough times for Aeroméxico. In 1986, the company suffered its first and only fatal accident outside of Mexico when a DC-9 approaching Los Angeles International Airport was struck by a small Piper aircraft. All 64 passengers and crew on board the DC-9 were killed, as were three on the Piper. 15 victims on the ground were also killed.

The plane crew or the airline were not to blame, as the Piper was being flown by a student who invaded a zone that was prohibited for student and private pilots. The mistake cost more than 80 people their lives.

Its safety record rates a "A", the highest grade possible, according to Air Rankings Online (see rankings at Airline Rankings). Rankings are cumulatives, based on the number of fatal accidents per million flights that the carrier has flown since 1970.

In April of 1988 the airline went bankrupt,caused by the bad administration on behalf the Mexican Goverment who was the owner of the Airline at that time, by October of the same year resumed operations with one half of their former eployees owned by private investors and 25% by the pilots union ASPA.

Revitalized and reinvigorated, Aeroméxico resumed all operations, and added new routes to Phoenix, Arizona, and all over the western United States, as well as to Lima, Peru in 1992 started service to Frankfurt and Rome in Europe.

The 1990's were no easier. Aeroméxico became a Boeing customer in 1990, making an order for 26 767/757 airplanes with deliveries between 1991 and 1996, but just 15 of these planes were delivered. Between 1994 and 1995 the 6 DC-10's were retired. The last revenue flight was in February of 1995. In Mid 1995 after a fraud of US$75m made by their former GEO Gerardo de Prevoisin, Aeromexico became a part of Cintra along with Mexicana. In 1996 it started a code share with Delta and Air France, and in 1999 became a SkyTeam Member.

Aeromexico today operates a fleet of 5 767-200, 1 767-300, 7 757-200, 45 MD-82-83-87-88, and 10 brand new 737-700 and is looking foward to replace all the Md-80's and 757 aircraft with brand new 737-700/800.

Other facts of interest

On the El Gordo y La Flaca television show of September 3, 2003, Raúl De Molina accidentally gave Aeroméxico a free advertisement, telling actor Andrés García that he knew García would be arriving the next Monday at Miami on Aeroméxico.
During the 1990s, Aeromexico owned a substantial amount of shares of Aeroperu. Similarly, Puerto Rican governor Pedro Rosselló announced Aeromexico was interested in forming Aero Puerto Rico. Aero Puerto Rico never went from being anything else than just an idea, however.

IATA Code

Aeroméxico uses the IATA designator code code AM.

External links