Despite the pandemic, the high price of oil and the downgrading of Category compared to the United States, today we have a larger, more complete and better connected aviation than before the health crisis”
Andres Conesa, director of Aeromexico
Buenos Aires, Argentina. The arguments to justify the creation of a state airline such as the need to reach more destinations to increase the supply of passengers and offer lower fares do not make sense, said Andrés Conesa, general director of Aeroméxico.
In this regard, the manager reported that, in August 2022, the domestic capacity of national aviation grew 20% compared to the existing capacity in 2019; while today the passenger pays a real average fare 20% below what he paid before the pandemic, even with a fuel price 55% higher due to inflationary pressures derived from the situation of the health and geopolitical crisis at world level.
“These data are what every government would like to see and boast about. Despite the pandemic, the high price of oil and the downgrading of Category compared to the United States that has prevented us from expanding our routes in a year and a half, today we have a larger, more complete and better connected aviation than before the health crisis. Even this did not cost the government a penny in taxes because we survive without government support, we survive because we have viability,” said Andrés Conesa.
During the Congress of leaders of the Latin American Air Transport Association, held in Buenos Aires, the CEO of the airline explained that what would generate incentives for growth is the recovery of Category 1 before the Federal Aviation Administration of the United States (FAA). , since the industry would expand and invest more in fleet acquisition to better connect Mexico internally and externally.
“To the extent that an airline can open a new route to the United States, for example, from Guadalajara to New York, it gives you an incentive to connect Guadalajara with Monterrey, or with Culiacán or with El Bajío to feed that flight; it is a multiplier effect that drives growth and creates an incentive to continue investing,” he stated.
The initiative
A few days ago, the deputy of Morena, Omar Enrique García Castañeda, proposed an initiative to reform the Civil Aviation Law and the Airport Law with the intention of supporting the Ministry of National Defense (Sedena) to have its own airline .
“The implementation of new airport companies is an ideal alternative to meet the demand for air transport, the development of economic and regional opportunities in the country,” dictates the proposal.
The above was also considered as an alternative option to boost traffic growth at the Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA) managed by Sedena, the CEO replied that the agreement made by the Ministry of the Interior with the airlines last May was to encourage the AIFA growth reaching 200 weekly operations, which already exist. “The main operator of the AIFA is Aeroméxico because half of those 200 are ours, and we continue betting on it and investing resources for its development,” he said.
Regarding the recovery of Category 1, the manager mentioned that the week of September 12 there was a visit by the FAA, however, for four months they have had no knowledge of the process by the authority.
