Compañía Mexicana de Aviación SA de CV, veut lancer une Cie régionale avec des Canadair CRJ 200 de seconde main, après la cessation d'ALMA ( GECAS et Bombardier Capital )
Sur Flight par B. Sobie
Mexicana today unveiled plans to launch a new regional carrier with a fleet of 13 second hand 50-seat Bombardier CRJ200 regional jets.
The Mexican airline group announced at a press conference today that Mexicana Inter will launch services on 15 March and operate several domestic routes which were formerly operated by
ALMA.
Guadalajara-based ALMA was a low-cost regional carrier which operated CRJ100s and CRJ200s until last November, when it suddenly ceased operations. Mexicana says Mexicana Inter will initially operate several routes from Guadalajara, including to Puerto Vallarta, Torreon,
Monterrey, Mazatlan, Chihuahua, Juarez, Veracruz and Tampico
Mexicana says Mexicana Inter will eventually operate 13 CRJ200s on 25 domestic routes with about 500 employees. It says Mexicana Inter has already secured a new airline concession
from the Mexican government.
ALMA also served about 25 domestic routes and operated a fleet of almost 20 CRJ100s and CRJ200s. It not clear who is providing Mexicana Inter with its initial fleet of 13 CRJ200s, but it is likely to be the same lessors who supplied ALMA its CRJ200s.
GECAS was ALMA's largest lessor and sources say the company will also supply Mexicana with most or all of its CRJ200s. A GECAS spokesman declined to comment.
Bombardier Capital was also an ALMA lessor but sources say it supplied ALMA with CRJ100s rather
than newer CRJ200s. A Bombardier spokesman confirms the manufacturer will not be leasing Mexicana Inter any aircraft and is not involved in any third-party transaction involving the new carrier.
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Aeromexico currently operates a fleet of about 40 regional aircraft on thinner domestic routes under the Aeromexico Express banner. According to Innovata, Aeromexico Express now operates all eight of Mexicana Inter's initial Guadalajara routes except Tampico, which currently is not operated by any carrier.
According to ACAS, Aeromexico Express' current fleet consist of six E-190s, 34 ERJ-145s and three Saab 340Bs with another 10 E-190s on order. Aeromexico Express carries about
2.5 million passengers annually. Mexicana projects Mexicana Inter will carry about 800,000 passengers annually.
The Aeromexico Express brand was introduced in 2007, taking over the operation of Aerolitoral, a
regional carrier which was sold along with Aeromexico in 2007 to the Banamex consortium by former parent Cintra. The Mexican government, which controlled Cintra, sold Mexicana and low-cost unit Click Mexicana separately in 2005 to Grupo Posadas.
The government at the time insisted on splitting up the airlines into two groups for competitive reasons but in recent months has indicated a merger could now be more palatable given
the rapid rise of several low-cost carriers in the domestic Mexican market since 2006. Mexicana has said it would be interested in a merger but so far Aeromexico has resisted, leaving Mexicana to instead step up competition against its rival.
The launch of the new regional carrier is the latest step in a strategy shift for the Mexicana group
which puts it into more direct competition with Aeromexico.
Mexicana historically has stuck to routes within Central and North America, leaving Aeromexico as Mexico's only long-haul operator. But in January that changed as Mexicana launched its first
transatlantic service, London Gatwick.
Mexicana next week will also launch service to Madrid and the carrier is now evaluating other potential European routes as part of its new long-haul strategy. It also launched service to Sao Paulo in December 2008. Previously Mexicana's only long-haul route was Buenos
Aires.
http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2009/02/04/322103/mexicana-to-launch-regional-carrier-with-13-crj200s.html
Dernière édition par Admin le Dim 22 Mar 2009 - 21:27, édité 2 fois (Raison : post réattribué à xma(a)d)