The Key Players In The US-Mexico Aviation Market

Before being displaced by the UK-Spain pair, the US-Mexico was the top country pair in the aviation market. Mexico is Latin America’s primary aviation market, surpassing Brazil in passenger numbers. The country regained its FAA Category 1 status, opening up opportunities for robust growth. The US-Mexico aviation market is dynamic, with 70% of the key carriers made up of low-cost carriers. Let’s discuss in depth some of the key players in this market in July 2024.

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Alaska Airlines and other airlines with less than 1,000 operations

Alaska Airlines (AS) is the fifth-largest commercial airline in the US, serving over 115 destinations in the US, Canada, Costa Rica, and Mexico. The airline’s routes connect travelers from the West Coast of the United States to beautiful Mexican destinations such as Cancun, San Jose Del Cabo, Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, and Loreto.

According to data from “Cirium”, an aviation analytics company, Alaska Airlines will conduct 982 flights in the US-Mexico market in July 2024. These flights will provide 159,222 seats and the available seats per mile (ASM) will be 228,609,968. Some other airlines have significantly fewer flights than Alaska on the US-Mexico routes. Let’s take a brief look.

Mexican low-cost carrier with almost 1,500 operations.

Headquartered at Monterrey International Airport, Viva Aerobus(VB), a fast-growing ultra-low-cost carrier (ULCC), has expanded its presence in the US-Mexico aviation market. Viva Aerobus operates nonstop routes between Mexico and the US, including six from Monterrey International Airport (MTY).

Photo: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock

In July 2024, Viva Aerobus will have 1,413 flights in the US-Mexico market, during which the number of seats provided will be 282,932, while the available seats per mile amounting to 289,740,910. Here are some of the routes operated by VB in the US-Mexico market.

1. Monterrey International Airport (MTY) to the United States: Denver (DEN), Austin (AUS), Orlando (MCO), Miami (MIA), San Francisco Oakland (OAK), New York (JFK).
2. Bajío International Airport (BJX) to the United States: Houston (IAH), San Antonio (SAT)
3. Los Cabos International Airport (SJD) to Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG).

Delta Air Lines and Aeromexico’s joint venture

The Aeromexico-Delta Joint Cooperation Agreement (JCA) enhanced transborder travel between Mexico and the United States. These two carriers hold a combined market share of 10.5% on the Mexico-US route.

Photo: Robin Guess | Shutterstock

In January 2024, the Aeromexico-Delta Joint Cooperation Agreement (JCA) introduced 17 new routes connecting Mexico and the United States. These routes will depart from seven Mexican airports and serve nine U.S. destinations, all supported by Delta codeshare agreements. However, Aeromexico trimmed its flights to the US between April and June.

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In July 2024, DL will have 2,078 operations that total to 350,700 seats, and 510,568,624 available seats per mile. On the other hand, AM has a relatively higher number of flights – 3,479 – with 534,191 seats and 815,113,007 available seats per mile. There are two other airlines, whose number of operations fall between the number of flights operated by DL and AM.

Two airlines with the highest contribution to the US-Mexico aviation market

United Airlines(UA), headquartered at the Willis Tower in Chicago, is the second-biggest player in the US-Mexico aviation market. As of July 2024, the airline has 4,872 flights on the US-Mexico routes, providing 695,014 seats and 855,778,338 available seats per mile. United Airlines operates several key routes in the US-Mexico aviation market, the most notable of which are:

1. Los Angeles (LAX) to Guadalajara (GDL)
2. Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) to Cancun (CUN)
3. Houston (IAH) to Cancun (CUN)
4. Mexico City (MEX) to Los Angeles (LAX)
5. Chicago (ORD) to Cancun (CUN)

These routes reflect the strong ties between the US and Mexico, catering to leisure and business travelers.

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American Airlines(AA), headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, is the biggest key player in the US-Mexico aviation market. The airline will have 6,030 flights on the US-Mexico routes in July 2024. During the operations, the carrier will provide 886,700 seats with 892,597,438 available seats per mile.

Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

American Airlines launched a new daily service to Tijuana from Phoenix earlier this year. The officials at Phoenix predicted that the new route would bring millions of dollars in revenue. The inaugural flight was conducted with an Embraer E175. AA operates several routes between the United States and Mexico, some of the most notable being:

• Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) to Mexico City (MEX)
• Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) to Cancun (CUN)
• Houston (IAH) to Mexico City (MEX)
• Los Angeles (LAX) to Guadalajara (GDL)

Which of these carriers is your favorite while traveling on the US-Mexico route? Let us know in the comments.