The Mexican government has completed the purchase of the brand and certain assets of the defunct airline Mexicana de Aviation for 815 million pesos (about 48 million US dollars), announced Mexican Interior Minister Luisa Alcalde.
The new airline was created in June under the name Mexican State Airlines and will use the “Mexicana de Aviación” brand, acquired for $48 million. This takeover decision also aims to compensate more than 7,400 former employees who found themselves without pay nor advantages when Mexicana did bankruptcy and ceased operations 13 years ago. The deal involves the transfer of three buildings and a flight simulator to the government, which plans to relaunch Mexicana as a commercial airline operated by the army.
Beginning August 15, payments will be made to former Mexicana employees who suffered financial losses due to the airline’s bankruptcy in 2010. Mexicana, founded in 1921was the oldest airline in Mexico and one of the oldest in the world.
The government’s plan is to start selling tickets (announced from September) to 20 domestic destinations including Cancún, Guadalajara, Tijuana, Mérida, Oaxaca, etc., from Felipe Ángeles International Airport with more prices “popular”. To operate the new network, Mexicana de Aviación will initially have ten Boeing 737-800 for hire, said National Defense Secretary Luis Cresencio Sandoval González.
Interior Minister Alcalde called the purchase a historic deal, underscoring the government’s commitment to recovering workers’ compensation. She attributed Mexicana’s downfall to the airline’s privatization under former President Vicente Fox’s administration, leading to its subsequent bankruptcy.
