Mexican Government finalises purchase of Mexicana de Aviacion

The Mexican government has finalised the purchase of the brand name and certain assets of the defunct airline Mexicana de Aviación for 815 million pesos (about $48 million USD), as announced by Interior Minister Luisa Alcalde. This move aims to provide compensation to over 7,400 former employees who were left without wages and benefits when Mexicana went bankrupt and ceased operations 13 years ago. The deal involves the transfer of three buildings and a flight simulator to the government, which plans to revive Mexicana as a military-operated commercial airline.

Beginning August 15, payments will be disbursed to former Mexicana employees who faced financial losses due to the airline’s bankruptcy in 2010. Mexicana, founded in 1921, was Mexico’s oldest-standing airline and one of the world’s oldest.

Interior Minister Alcalde characterised the purchase as a historic agreement, highlighting the government’s dedication to recovering compensation for workers. She attributed the downfall of Mexicana to the privatisation of the airline under the administration of former President Vicente Fox, leading to its subsequent bankruptcy.

The revived Mexicana airline is set to operate with ten Boeing 737-800 aircraft and will serve 20 destinations across Mexico, including Cancún, Guadalajara, Tijuana, Mérida, Oaxaca, and more, from the Felipe Ángeles International Airport. Ticket sales are expected to begin in September.