On the same day it accepted an award as the world’s most punctual airline, Aeroméxico announced that it would be offering seven new routes by the end of the year.
This week’s award ceremony and its expansion plans culminate a remarkable turnaround less than three years after the airline emerged from bankruptcy.
In addition to the new routes, Aeroméxico remains open to relisting on the New York Stock Exchange and the Mexican stock exchange “as soon as market conditions allow.” The airline delisted from both exchanges as part of its bankruptcy proceedings.
Aeroméxico filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in June 2020 after the pandemic sent demand plummeting, returning from insolvency in March 2022 with a US $5 billion investment plan that featured fleet modernization and other upgrades.
The airline regained its footing steadily, adding nearly 150 new airplanes by 2023. It went on to add nine new routes in September 2024 even as the U.S. Department of Transportation sought to end its decades-old joint venture with Delta Air Lines.
In January, the airline announced two new routes (Mexico City-Philadelphia and San Luis Potosí-Atlanta) will begin operations in June, and at the Feb. 11 award ceremony airline officials said five additional international routes will be added by the end of the year.
The new destinations, all connecting from the Mexico City International Airport, are Phoenix, Cartagena and Cali (Colombia), Panama City, and Punta Cana (Dominican Republic).
To cover these new routes, Aeroméxico will add 14 new planes, bringing its total fleet to 164 by the end of 2025.
Aeroméxico also announced that it will be renovating its two Salones Premier passenger lounges at the Mexico City International Airport. Additionally, Mexico’s flagship airline will be standardizing its on-board seats and providing Wi-Fi throughout the plane, while also updating its app (which will feature access to its loyalty program) and offering free messenger service in the first-class section of the cabin.
Aeroméxico made the announcements at a ceremony where it was honored as 2024’s most on-time airline. The award was sponsored by aviation analytics company Cirium.
Of almost 197,000 Aeroméxico flights in 2024, 86.7% arrived on time and the airline fulfilled 99.32% of planned operations.
Aeroméxico CEO Andrés Conesa accepted the award on behalf of the entire Aeroméxico workforce, while also lauding the contribution of airport authorities.
“I am proud to share that [this award] comes as a result of the enormous effort we have made to improve our processes, modernize our fleet, incorporate the newest technology and strengthen coordination with authorities, airports and service providers,” he said. “But, above all, they reflect the most valuable asset that represents us: the great talent of the Aeroméxico family. We will continue to strive every day to provide the best service to our customers and make each trip an extraordinary experience.”
Aeromexico won with an on-time percentage (OTP) of 86.7%, a mere 0.35% higher than the second-place airline, Saudia.
Upon presenting the award, Cirium CEO Jeremy Bowen praised Aeroméxico for its dramatic OTP improvements over the past four years. In Cirium’s award analysis, an on-time flight is defined as a flight that arrives within 15 minutes of the scheduled gate arrival.
“In 2021, your OTP was 70.15%, but In 2022, OTP was up 4.7% to 74.86%,” he said. “Then in 2023, OTP was up 2.6% to 77.48%, and in 2024, up an incredible 9% to 86.7%.”
This is the first time a Mexican airline received Cirium’s Most On-Time Global Airline Award.
With reports from Expansión and Food and Travel
