Less than a month before the new state airline, Mexicana, takes to the skies, as planned by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, there is still no certainty of the type of fleet that the new military company will use, nor if it already has the Certificate of Air Operator (AOC), an unavoidable requirement if you are looking to take off on December 1 from Felipe Ángeles Airport, in the State of Mexico. The questions intensify as the calendar progresses amid the silence of the aeronautical authorities regarding the origin of the 10 Boeing 737-800 aircraft that will be part of the first stage of the project. The initial disbursement, in this first phase, is 4,000 million pesos.
Although last August, both President López Obrador and the Secretary of National Defense, Luis Cresencio Sandoval, announced in style the next launch of Mexicana, the project has been slowed in recent months with delays and mistakes such as the start in the selling tickets on their website without yet having all the certifications, a failure that forced them to suspend ticket sales hours later. Now only a map of flight destinations appears on the website, including some of the country’s busiest routes from the capital to Monterrey, Guadalajara and Cancun, with the promotional phrase: “Look forward to this new way of traveling.” In total, the airline is projected to start with 20 domestic destinations from Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA).
Rogelio Rodríguez, expert in aviation law from UNAM, explained that to obtain the Air Operator Certificate (AOC) the military needs the guarantee that they have the aircraft, the problem is that there is a shortage of aircraft worldwide. Faced with this lack of supply, the sector turns to financiers, who have new and used aircraft that they can lease.
The specialist mentions that so that the Executive can fulfill its take-off promise on time, it can resort to leasing aircraft with everything and crew, a scheme known in the sector as wet lease. “Under this scenario the company would start in December, but in reality it would be a shell. They (the lessors) already have certified aircraft, registrations, approved maintenance programs, trained pilots, it is a rental, but it is not cheaper because they will surely charge the Government for the operating costs,” he explained.
Rodríguez indicated that, due to the high cost, the rental scheme with everything and crew is only feasible as a temporary solution while the company manages to obtain its own aircraft and crews. “When the planes arrive, the certificate is going to be released by steam, they are going to be at super forced marches. In my experience, it takes an operator from six months to a year to obtain the AOC, here it will be obtained in a month, but that is not going to happen, even if the planes do not arrive,” he added.
The head of the Federal Civil Aviation Agency (AFAC), Miguel Vallin Osuna, confirmed at the end of October to local media that Mexicana de Aviación has not started the process to obtain the Air Operator Certificate. Once the AOC process is submitted, the AFAC must corroborate that the documents meet the requirements to then authorize it and have it come into force. For the following year, the state company will have a budget of 119.7 million pesos for 2024.
The military has announced that they hired Boeing to advise and develop the business plan for this new project, and continues to support in obtaining the certificate and the implementation of the necessary elements for the start of operations. According to the López Obrador Government, the objective of the military airline is to improve the coverage of air services and promote connectivity in the market. The president has assured that Mexicana will offer airfares 20% lower than those of commercial airlines.
Even without all the procedures completed, the American company Petrus Aero Holdings began the recruitment process of pilots and flight attendants in Mexico City for the military airline. According to the call launched on social networks, among the requirements for pilots is having a high school education certificate, a minimum of 500 hours in a 2000 turboprop jet certified in the logbook, a minimum of 500 hours in a glass cockpit, and a current RTARI level 4 or higher. , valid commercial pilot or TPI license and title and professional license, as well as a valid passport and visa to the United States. In the case of flight attendants, the requirements are to be Mexican by birth, a certificate of high school education with a visible average, basic English, a valid flight attendant license and a valid passport and visa to the United States. Sedena has reported that 745 sources of employment will be generated with the takeoff of Mexicana.
Rodríguez emphasized that despite the haste and setbacks of this Government to launch the new Mexicana, a greater offer of airlines is required to benefit travelers. “We do not have airlines, our offer is dramatically lower than what we had ago. 25 years,” he concluded.
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