Aerolíneas Mesoamericanas
Encyclopedia
Aerolíneas Mesoamericanas, S.A. de C.V., operating as ALMA de Mexico, was a low-cost airline
based in Guadalajara
, Mexico
. It suspended all service on November 7, 2008. The airline once operated flights to more than 18 domestic destinations, with future plans for international service to the United States. Its main base was Don Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla International Airport
, Guadalajara.
On June 12, 2006, ALMA launched operations with its first flight from Guadalajara to Puebla
. It had already signed lease agreements with GE Commercial Aviation Services
(GECAS) for further Bombardier CRJ-200
aircraft.
ALMA was awarded its (IOSA
)security and safety certification on March 2, 2007.
ALMA successfully combined air travel with bus services in what it called a Multimodal service. This service was offered on the following routes:
From its first day of service, customers could access the airline through its online
portal www.alma.com.mx. Customers could also book through other sales channels, including a Call Center (1 888 811 ALMA from the US / 01 800 800 ALMA in Mexico), Global Distribution Systems GDS
(Sabre, WorldSpan and Amadeus) and Travel Agencies. ALMA offered competitive prices on all its routes, pegged at levels comparable to fares offered by other low cost airlines.
By the end of 2007, ALMA had grown its fleet to 18 aircraft and had announced plans to expand to 30 aircraft within the coming year, including two new CRJ900 aircraft on order directly from Bombardier. ALMA was then considered one the fastest growing regional airlines in Mexico. This turned out to be the high point in the airline's history. Within months ALMA was feeling the effects of soaring fuel prices and increased competition. In early 2008 the company indefinitely deferred further aircraft deliveries and then cut capacity. By the end of the summer the fleet had dropped to just 12 aircraft.
On November 7, 2008, ALMA announced on its website that it was ceasing all operations, effective immediately, citing the global economic crisis
, the increase in fuel prices and the devaluation of the Mexican peso
. The airline had not made any backup plans for its booked passengers. As a result, all such customers had effectively lost their money unless they were willing to make a claim to PROFECO, which stated that any such claim could literally take years to resolve. Aeroméxico offered to reprotect passengers, but it charged 999 pesos per segment subject to G class availability.
Low-cost carrier
A low-cost carrier or low-cost airline is an airline that generally has lower fares and fewer comforts...
based in Guadalajara
Guadalajara, Jalisco
Guadalajara is the capital of the Mexican state of Jalisco, and the seat of the municipality of Guadalajara. The city is located in the central region of Jalisco in the western-pacific area of Mexico. With a population of 1,564,514 it is Mexico's second most populous municipality...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. It suspended all service on November 7, 2008. The airline once operated flights to more than 18 domestic destinations, with future plans for international service to the United States. Its main base was Don Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla International Airport
Don Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla International Airport
Guadalajara International Airport , also known as Don Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla International Airport . It opened in 1966 and is located 16 km south of the city centre of Guadalajara. In 2010, the airport handled 6,953,900 passengers, representing a 7.8% increase from 2009...
, Guadalajara.
History
The airline was established in 2005 by former Aeroméxico COO Guillermo Heredia and received its air operator's certificate in September of the same year.On June 12, 2006, ALMA launched operations with its first flight from Guadalajara to Puebla
Puebla, Puebla
The city and municipality of Puebla is the capital of the state of Puebla, and one of the five most important colonial cities in Mexico. Being a planned city, it is located to the east of Mexico City and west of Mexico's main port, Veracruz, on the main route between the two.The city was founded...
. It had already signed lease agreements with GE Commercial Aviation Services
GE Commercial Aviation Services
GECAS is a unit of GE Capital, itself part of the large conglomerate General Electric. The president of GECAS is Norman Liu. GECAS is responsible for the leasing of aircraft and associated equipment to airlines...
(GECAS) for further Bombardier CRJ-200
Bombardier Canadair Regional Jet
The Bombardier CRJ is a family of regional airliners manufactured by Bombardier:* CRJ100 - 50 seats* CRJ200 - 50 seats* CRJ700 - 70 seats* CRJ705 - 75 seats* CRJ900 - 90 seats* CRJ1000 - 100 seats...
aircraft.
ALMA was awarded its (IOSA
IATA Operational Safety Audit
The IATA Operational Safety Audit programme is an internationally recognised and accepted evaluation system designed to assess the operational management and control systems of an airline. IOSA uses internationally recognised quality audit principles and is designed to conduct audits in a...
)security and safety certification on March 2, 2007.
ALMA successfully combined air travel with bus services in what it called a Multimodal service. This service was offered on the following routes:
- For any passenger flying to La PazLa PazNuestra Señora de La Paz is the administrative capital of Bolivia, as well as the departmental capital of the La Paz Department, and the second largest city in the country after Santa Cruz de la Sierra...
and travelling on to San José del CaboSan José del CaboThe city of San José del Cabo is located in Baja California Sur Mexico and is the seat of the municipality of Los Cabos at the south end of the Baja California peninsula. In the 2010 census it had a population of 69,788. Together with neighboring Cabo San Lucas it forms a major tourist destination...
or Cabo San LucasCabo San LucasCabo San Lucas , commonly called Cabo, is a city at the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula, in the municipality of Los Cabos in the Mexican state of Baja California Sur. As of the 2010 census, the population was 68,463 people... - For any passenger flying to TijuanaTijuanaTijuana is the largest city on the Baja California Peninsula and center of the Tijuana metropolitan area, part of the international San Diego–Tijuana metropolitan area. An industrial and financial center of Mexico, Tijuana exerts a strong influence on economics, education, culture, art, and politics...
and travelling on to EnsenadaEnsenada, Baja CaliforniaEnsenada is a coastal city in Mexico and the third-largest city in Baja California. It is located south of San Diego on the Baja California Peninsula. The city is locally referred to as La Cenicienta del Pacífico, or, The Cinderella of the Pacific...
or MexicaliMexicaliMexicali is the capital of the State of Baja California, seat of the Municipality of Mexicali, and 2nd largest city in Baja California. The City of Mexicali has a population of 689,775, according to the 2010 census, while the population of the entire metropolitan area reaches 936,826.The city... - For any passenger flying to PueblaPueblaPuebla officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Puebla is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 217 municipalities and its capital city is Puebla....
with a final short trip to its center (4 Poniente) and vica versa. In this last case, there was no extra charge.
From its first day of service, customers could access the airline through its online
ONLINE
ONLINE is a magazine for information systems first published in 1977. The publisher Online, Inc. was founded the year before. In May 2002, Information Today, Inc. acquired the assets of Online Inc....
portal www.alma.com.mx. Customers could also book through other sales channels, including a Call Center (1 888 811 ALMA from the US / 01 800 800 ALMA in Mexico), Global Distribution Systems GDS
GDS
-Medicine:* Geriatric Depression Scale, a simple, self-administered assessment of depression among the elderly.* Global Deterioration Scale, a standardized system of evaluating the progression of dementia, specifically in Alzheimer's Disease.-Schools:...
(Sabre, WorldSpan and Amadeus) and Travel Agencies. ALMA offered competitive prices on all its routes, pegged at levels comparable to fares offered by other low cost airlines.
By the end of 2007, ALMA had grown its fleet to 18 aircraft and had announced plans to expand to 30 aircraft within the coming year, including two new CRJ900 aircraft on order directly from Bombardier. ALMA was then considered one the fastest growing regional airlines in Mexico. This turned out to be the high point in the airline's history. Within months ALMA was feeling the effects of soaring fuel prices and increased competition. In early 2008 the company indefinitely deferred further aircraft deliveries and then cut capacity. By the end of the summer the fleet had dropped to just 12 aircraft.
On November 7, 2008, ALMA announced on its website that it was ceasing all operations, effective immediately, citing the global economic crisis
Global economic crisis
Global economic crisis may refer to:*Economic events of the late 2000s:** Financial crisis ** Late-2000s recession*A global recession*Earlier global economic events, such as:...
, the increase in fuel prices and the devaluation of the Mexican peso
Mexican peso
The peso is the currency of Mexico. Modern peso and dollar currencies have a common origin in the 15th–19th century Spanish dollar, most continuing to use its sign, "$". The Mexican peso is the 12th most traded currency in the world, the third most traded in the Americas, and by far the most...
. The airline had not made any backup plans for its booked passengers. As a result, all such customers had effectively lost their money unless they were willing to make a claim to PROFECO, which stated that any such claim could literally take years to resolve. Aeroméxico offered to reprotect passengers, but it charged 999 pesos per segment subject to G class availability.
Fleet
The ALMA de México fleet consisted of the following aircraft (as of 7 November 2008) http://www.ch-aviation.ch/aircraft.php?search=set&airline=AMX&al_op=1:- 12 Bombardier CRJ200Bombardier CRJ200The Bombardier CRJ100 and CRJ200 are a family of regional airliner manufactured by Bombardier, and based on the Canadair Challenger business jet.-Development:...
On order
- 2 Bombardier CRJ-900 NextGen (for delivery in late 2008) the order was cancelled, when operations ceased
Codeshare agreements
At June 1, 2007, ALMA de México codeshared with the following airlines:- MexicanaMexicana de AviaciónFounded in 1921, Compañía Mexicana de Aviación, S.A. de C.V. was Mexico's oldest airline, before ceasing operations on August 28, 2010. The group's closure was announced by the company's recently installed management team a short time after the group filed for Concurso Mercantil and US Chapter 15...