Airport reviews

August 1st, 2014 at 1:25:08 PM permalink
Nareed
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 346
Posts: 12545
Quote: Pacomartin
I checked the records and Aeromexico has been flying a widebody 787 from Mexico City to NYC since September 2013.


Really?

I'm not int he market for NYC trips, so I odn't know it well. When Interjet started flying there on A-320s, I was curious what the other airlines offered. I checked Aeromexico and saw all-737s. I forget when this was, exactly.

Quote:
Mexico city is 10:45 to 12:00 hours to the European hubs (Madrid, Paris, London). When you add in layover time you go well over 24 hours. I think they need a short flight to do on opposite days so the jet is available for a new cycle.


Maybe. Lusthansa, Iberia, KLM and Air France fly direct to Mexico from Frankfurt, Madrid, Amsterdam and Paris respectively. I think once a week or so.
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August 9th, 2014 at 9:45:05 AM permalink
Pacomartin
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 1068
Posts: 12569
Quote: Nareed
I'm not int he market for NYC trips, so I odn't know it well. When Interjet started flying there on A-320s, I was curious what the other airlines offered. I checked Aeromexico and saw all-737s. I forget when this was, exactly.


Aeromexico has 6 Boeing 767's, 4 Boeing 777's, and 5 Boeing 787's. Two of the 777's are from November 2001 which is old, but not ancient. There is no decision made to retire those jets and go to an all Dreamliner fleet.

Aeromexico share of traffic in 2014
21% Spain
29% France
35% UK
0% Germany
0% Netherlands

Under normal circumstances it would make sense to fly to NYC with a single aisle jet. But maybe Aeromexico is trying to figure out how to expand. They had flights to Frankfurt and Barcelona in the past. I don't know if the have ever tried Amsterdam.

Interjet is flying to Bogota, and Volaris may expand southward as well. Lima Peru seems to be a popular destination for Mexicans . It's a long flight, but is still doable with a narrow body A320.
August 10th, 2014 at 7:17:00 AM permalink
Pacomartin
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 1068
Posts: 12569
While Latin American fleets are investing heavily in Airbus A319,A320, A321 models . The widebodies seem to be primarily going towards Boeing 787's.

Aeromexico has been promoting 19 units (the 5 they have procured are all leased). I think they will own 8 and lease 11. If they get that many, I am sure they will retire the four B777's.

787 Model Summary Through July 2014
Series Ord Del Unf Price
787-8 483 168 315 $218.3M
787-9 435 2 433 $257.1M
787-10 139 - 139 $297.5M
787 Total 1057 170 887

Model
Series Eng First Order Orders Deliveries Unfilled First Delivery
Aeromexico (Mexico)
787-8 GE 15-Aug-2006 2 - 2 -
787-9 GE 24-Dec-2012 6 - 6 -
Subtotal 8 - 8

Avianca (Colombia)
787-8 RR 04-Oct-2006 15 - 15 -
Subtotal 15 - 15

LAN Airlines (Chile)
787-8 RR 31-Oct-2007 22 6 16 28-Aug-2012
787-9 RR 31-Oct-2007 4 - 4 -
Subtotal 26 6 20
August 10th, 2014 at 9:56:01 AM permalink
Nareed
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 346
Posts: 12545
Quote: Pacomartin
While Latin American fleets are investing heavily in Airbus A319,A320, A321 models . The widebodies seem to be primarily going towards Boeing 787's.


I don't know about Latin america. In Mexico this was a result of circumstance.

Mexicana also flew the A-320 family, but they had widebodies for long routes to London and I think palce sin South America. I think they sued Boeing, too, but were planning to lease or acquire A-330s or A-340s as well. alas, they ceased to exist. That left Aeromexico as the sole wide body user in the cuntry, and they are faithfully married to Boeing, whom they inherited from their previous faithful marriage to McDonell-Douglas.

The low-costs could conceivably switch brands any time they want. Except Interjet. Interjet operates a BIG maintenance and repair facility for the A-320 family in Toluca airport. They invested a lot in it, and ahndle planes from other airlines in addition to their own fleet. I understand it's very profitable (perhaps also the reason they configure less seats per plane in their A-320s and allow 50 kilos in luggage).

I don't think the low-costs will enter the intercontinental or transcontinental market any time soon. The low-cost mdoel gets strained when used on longer flights. Imagine no meals at all, only snacks, served on a 12+ hour fligth. Impossible, right? Charging for meals would also be impossible unless they were reaonably priced (yeah, right). I think Interjet does serve cold sandwiches on theyr MEX-JFK run, which is somehwre over 5 hours long on average. TLC-LAS all they serve are tiny bags of chips, one per passenger, and drinks (on the upside, the booze is free, and you can often get two drinks). Interjet could get away with a 50 kilo luggage allowance, but Voalris culdn't with a 25 kilo one. And so on.
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August 10th, 2014 at 10:33:40 AM permalink
Pacomartin
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 1068
Posts: 12569
Quote: Nareed
The low-costs could conceivably switch brands any time they want. Except Interjet. Interjet operates a BIG maintenance and repair facility for the A-320 family in Toluca airport. They invested a lot in it, and ahndle planes from other airlines in addition to their own fleet. I understand it's very profitable (perhaps also the reason they configure less seats per plane in their A-320s and allow 50 kilos in luggage).


That may explain Vivaaerobus decision to switch to A-320. They can get maintenance done right in Mexico. Plus it makes them more attractive as a merger partner.



Quote: Nareed
I don't think the low-costs will enter the intercontinental or transcontinental market any time soon. The low-cost mdoel gets strained when used on longer flights. Imagine no meals at all, only snacks, served on a 12+ hour fligth. Impossible, right? Charging for meals would also be impossible unless they were reaonably priced (yeah, right). I think Interjet does serve cold sandwiches on theyr MEX-JFK run, which is somehwre over 5 hours long on average. TLC-LAS all they serve are tiny bags of chips, one per passenger, and drinks (on the upside, the booze is free, and you can often get two drinks). Interjet could get away with a 50 kilo luggage allowance, but Voalris culdn't with a 25 kilo one. And so on.


Interjet has 9% of the Mexico City-Bogota run, while Aeromexico has 21%. I could see them competing to Quito, Caracas and possibly as far as Lima.

Although single aisle jets can go as far as Santiago, Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo and Rio De Janeiro it isn't economical as you need several times the weight of the passengers in fuel.

I don't know what will happen to Aeromar and Magnicharters. Perhaps Aeromar and TAR might end up competing, but Aeromar is ordering Bombardiers, while TAR is ordering Embraers. They may not be able to merge.
August 10th, 2014 at 11:10:13 AM permalink
Nareed
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 346
Posts: 12545
Quote: Pacomartin
I don't know what will happen to Aeromar and Magnicharters. Perhaps Aeromar and TAR might end up competing, but Aeromar is ordering Bombardiers, while TAR is ordering Embraers. They may not be able to merge.


Aeromar and TAR, as near as I can tell, are both niche airlines. Aeromar specializes in business routes with little demand, such as Mexico-Veracruz or Mexico-San Luis Potosi and such (though oddly not Mexico-Bajio), with some other more popular routes for some reason. TAR specilize sin flying out of Queretaro.

As I think one doesn't fly to Queretaro and the other doesn't fly to Mexico City, they may ahve no ocassion to compete.
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August 10th, 2014 at 12:15:40 PM permalink
terapined
Member since: Aug 6, 2014
Threads: 73
Posts: 11786
Quote: Nareed
Mexico-San Luis Potosi

I work in corporate business travel. San Luis Potosi is my number 1 destination in Mexico for my corporate clients.

Interesting discussion here on types of equipment.
Its actually something me or my clients dont pay much attention too.
Its all about earning miles 1st, then times and connections 2nd, then 3rd consideration is price,
Sometimes we live no particular way but our own - Grateful Dead "Eyes of the World"
August 10th, 2014 at 5:34:41 PM permalink
boymimbo
Member since: Mar 25, 2013
Threads: 5
Posts: 732
Right.

I fly on Star Alliance first to get miles. If I have to, I will find another airline if the time or connection is truly crappy, and last is price. The client pays the price, and as long as it's in my corporate policy, I'm in.
August 10th, 2014 at 6:12:37 PM permalink
Nareed
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 346
Posts: 12545
I fly on my own dime only once a year. Miles are not a concern.

When I fly for corporate reasons, it's usually Interjet due to price.
Donald Trump is a one-term LOSER
August 10th, 2014 at 8:44:38 PM permalink
Pacomartin
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 1068
Posts: 12569
Quote: terapined
I work in corporate business travel. San Luis Potosi is my number 1 destination in Mexico for my corporate clients.

Interesting discussion here on types of equipment.
Its actually something me or my clients dont pay much attention too.
Its all about earning miles 1st, then times and connections 2nd, then 3rd consideration is price,


The biggest announcement out of SLP has been the BMW plant.

Your clients probably mostly fly on United (Expressjet) out of Houston or American Eagle (Envoy Air) out of Dallas. The equipment is regional jets.

Huge numbers of the Mexican airlines have gone bankrupt in the last few decades. Mexicana was the oldest and largest airline in Mexico, carrying more than half the air passengers. The remaining airlines have mostly new equipment, so you don't go to Mexico and find yourself on a DC-9 anymore.

Main Airlines bankrupt
2008 Aerocalifornia
2008 Aerolíneas Mesoamericanas (Alma)
2009 Aviacsa
2008 Avolar
2007 Líneas Aéreas Azteca
2010 Mexicana de Aviación
1996 Saro
1999 Taesa

Regional Airlines bankrupt
Aero Cuahonte
Aerocozumel
Aeroejecutivo
Aerolíneas Internacionales
Aeroméxico Travel
Aeromonterrey
Aeromorelos
Aeronáutica de Cancún
Aerosudpacifico
Aerovías Caribe (Click)/e
Aerovías de Poniente
Aerovías Oaxaqueñas
Aviación del Noroeste
Mexicana Link
Omni Flys
Pal Aerolíneas
Servicios Aéreos Leo López
Transportadores Aéreos Gane

PLUS many more charter airlines

Most interstate travel outside of Mexico city-Puebla-Toluca was very slow until Salinas became president (December 1, 1988 – November 30, 1994). Under his administration the state built about 2000 miles of limited access highway. He also stole possibly in excess of a billion dollars, and the peso collapsed within weeks of his leaving office. The contracts to maintain the highways were all renegotiated, and tolls have remained astronomical. An executive and business class bus service developed that now takes roughly 75 million trips per year in quality bus configurations that barely exist in the USA.

As executive bus service can cost about the same as low cost air service, domestic air trips zoomed from 20 million in 1992, to 36 million in 2008. With the effects of depression and the bankruptcy of most of the airlines they dropped down to just over 30.5 million until recovering to 37.6 million in 2013.

To try and double that number in five or six years, the airlines will have to remain solvent and Tijuana, Guadalajara, and Monterrey will have to be developed as larger hubs as Mexico City Airport is severely constrained by physical limitations.