Almost 14 years after going out of business, Mexicana was relaunched as a government-operated domestic carrier in Mexico. The airline, run by the defense ministry, currently has three planes and is renting two, but aims to add 10 more aircraft next year through leasing deals.

The airline plans to carry passengers from Mexican cities to resorts like Cancún, Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos, Zihuatanejo, Acapulco and Mazatlán. Mexicana also hopes to fly to 16 small regional airports that currently have few or no flights.

At a press conference, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador called the first flight a “historic event” and a “new stage,” marking the return of the formerly government-run airline, which had been privatized before going bankrupt and finally closing in 2010.

After taking office in 2018, López Obrador said he would place his trust in the military as an incorruptible force and has given the armed forces control in many sectors, including trains, aviation, hospitality and infrastructure.

Photo: Asociación Mexicana de Sobrecargos de Aviación