By Kylie Madry
MEXICO CITY, Oct 19 (Reuters) - Aeromexico is evaluating new flights to the United States from Mexico City after Washington lifted restrictions that had barred Mexican airlines from adding new services from the capital's two main airports, the carrier's finance chief said on Monday.
Ricardo Sanchez said Aeromexico was reviewing opportunities to add US capacity now that the curbs had been removed, reviving plans that had been put on hold when the restrictions were imposed.
• "It is definitely
something that we are looking at," Sanchez said.
• The US Department of Transportation's move, announced on Friday, allows Mexican airlines to launch new flights to the United States from both Mexico City's Benito Juarez airport and Felipe Angeles airport.
• Sanchez said Aeromexico had aircraft available to support growth, helped by leases negotiated during its Chapter 11 restructuring that left it with rates below current market levels.
• He said the airline was not yet fully utilizing some of those assets and could improve profitability by flying them more.
• The comments suggest Aeromexico could move quickly to expand in the US-Mexico market, one of the world's largest cross-border air travel corridors, while still prioritizing profitability and lower leverage.
• The added flexibility also comes as competition in Mexico could intensify - Reuters reported exclusively last week that Mexico's antitrust authority is expected to approve the planned merger between low-cost carriers Volaris and Viva Aerobus before the end of 2026.
• If approved, that tie-up could increase competitive pressure on Aeromexico in both domestic and international markets.
(Reporting by Kylie Madry, Editing by Iñigo Alexander)
