Aviacsa
Encyclopedia
Consorcio Aviaxsa, S.A. de C.V., doing business as Aviacsa, is a low-cost airline of Mexico
with its headquarters in Hangar 1 of Zone C on the property of Mexico City International Airport
in Venustiano Carranza, Mexico City
, Mexico. The airline operated domestic services until the airline's grounding, radiating from major hubs at Monterrey
, Mexico City and Guadalajara
and international service to Las Vegas, Nevada
in the USA
. Aviacsa also had a U.S. office in Houston.
According to the Department of Communications and Transportation, as of September 2008, Aviacsa ranked as the seventh largest Mexican airline in domestic and international flights, down from the third largest at the end of 2007.
airline by the government of the Mexican state of Chiapas
in order to fulfill the transportation needs of the fast-growing communities located in that state. It operated its first flight on September 20, 1990, using one 89-seat British Aerospace
146 (BAe 146
) regional aircraft between Mexico City and the cities of Tapachula
, and Tuxtla Gutiérrez
, both located in the state of Chiapas. By the end of the year, the airline received a second BAe 146
and had initiated service from the two towns in Chiapas to Villahermosa
, Mérida
, Oaxaca
, Chetumal
, and Cancún
.
In 1991, Aviacsa exchanged its fleet of BAe 146 aircraft for four 108-seat Fokker F100
aircraft. With these new planes, the airline was able to initiate flights from Monterrey to Mérida and Cancún
, as well as service from Mexico City to Mérida and Villahermosa
. Between 1992 and 1995 its main operation hubs were Mérida and Tuxtla Gutiérrez
.
In 1994, Aviacsa exchanged its fleet of Fokker F100s for a fleet of four 164-seat Boeing 727-200
s. The airline also launched a charter division, temporarily utilizing the Fokker F100s. The company was privatized and sold to Aerojecutivo, also known as Aeroexo, a charter company
based in Monterrey.
In 1995, it changed its livery to a white plane, blue stripes, gray bottom, and painted its iconic smile painted on the nose of its airplanes, making it the second airline to have a smile; the first was Pacific Southwest Airlines
.
In 1997, Aviacsa leased two Douglas DC-9-15 aircraft and was able to increase frequencies to its destinations. It announced that in its three years of charter operations, it had successfully carried out 1020 charter flights to cities within Mexico, the United States
, the Caribbean
, Central America
, and South America
. In December 1999 the airline acquired four Boeing 737-200
s and added them to its fleet.
Between 2000 and 2005, Aviacsa introduced new flights and destinations throughout Mexico, as well as scheduled service to five US cities. In 2000, it changed its image, slogan, and corporate logo. Between 2001 and 2004, the airline began leasing and purchasing used 737-200s to help increase its route capabilities.
In 2005, Aviacsa launched its online ticket shopping webpage, and introduced Boeing 737-300s to replace its 727s.
, VivaAerobus and Volaris
, Aviacsa began marketing as a Low-cost airline, ending service to Chicago
, Houston
, Los Angeles
and Miami
, focusing instead on the domestic market.
On July 6, 2009 the Mexican government again grounded the airline for the third time in five weeks over claims that the airline owed over 292 million pesos (about $22 million) in fees for use of Mexican airspace. AVIACSA officials have accused the government of trying to put them out of business in response to pressure from other Mexican airlines. Some of its routes are now being served by Aeromexico Connect and Interjet.
Although Aviacsa was slated to resume operations, on May 4, 2011 it was announced that ticket sales would not continue, casting doubt on the airline's future.
As of 2011, the average age of the Aviacsa fleet is 26.3 years, the oldest fleet of the Mexican airlines.
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...
with its headquarters in Hangar 1 of Zone C on the property of Mexico City International Airport
Mexico City International Airport
Benito Juárez International Airport , in Venustiano Carranza, one of the sixteen boroughs into which Mexico's Federal District is divided, is a commercial airport that serves Mexico City, the capital of Mexico...
in Venustiano Carranza, Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
, Mexico. The airline operated domestic services until the airline's grounding, radiating from major hubs at Monterrey
Monterrey
Monterrey , is the capital city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León in the country of Mexico. The city is anchor to the third-largest metropolitan area in Mexico and is ranked as the ninth-largest city in the nation. Monterrey serves as a commercial center in the north of the country and is the...
, Mexico City and 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...
and international service to Las Vegas, Nevada
McCarran International Airport
McCarran International Airport is the principal commercial airport serving Las Vegas and Clark County, Nevada, United States. The airport is located five miles south of the central business district of Las Vegas, in the unincorporated area of Paradise in Clark County. It covers an area of and...
in the USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Aviacsa also had a U.S. office in Houston.
According to the Department of Communications and Transportation, as of September 2008, Aviacsa ranked as the seventh largest Mexican airline in domestic and international flights, down from the third largest at the end of 2007.
Flagship era (1990–2007)
The airline was established on May 5, 1990, as a flag carrierFlag carrier
A flag carrier is a transportation company, such as an airline or shipping company, that, being locally registered in a given country, enjoys preferential rights or privileges, accorded by the government, for international operations. It may be a state-run, state-owned or private but...
airline by the government of the Mexican state of Chiapas
Chiapas
Chiapas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Chiapas is one of the 31 states that, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 118 municipalities and its capital city is Tuxtla Gutierrez. Other important cites in Chiapas include San Cristóbal de las...
in order to fulfill the transportation needs of the fast-growing communities located in that state. It operated its first flight on September 20, 1990, using one 89-seat British Aerospace
BAE Systems
BAE Systems plc is a British multinational defence, security and aerospace company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, that has global interests, particularly in North America through its subsidiary BAE Systems Inc. BAE is among the world's largest military contractors; in 2009 it was the...
146 (BAe 146
BAe 146
The British Aerospace 146 is a medium-sized commercial airliner formerly manufactured in the United Kingdom by British Aerospace, later part of BAE Systems. Production ran from 1983 until 2002. Manufacture of an improved version known as the Avro RJ began in 1992...
) regional aircraft between Mexico City and the cities of Tapachula
Tapachula
Tapachula is a town and with a hot, humid climate in the Mexican state of Chiapas. It is located in southern part of the state on the Soconusco coastal plain, near the border with Guatemala, at 14.91° N 92.27° W...
, and Tuxtla Gutiérrez
Tuxtla Gutiérrez
Tuxtla Gutiérrez is the capital and largest city of the Mexican state of Chiapas. It is considered to be the state’s most modern city, with most of its public buildings dating from the 20th century. One exception to this is the San Marcos Cathedral which began as a Dominican parish church built in...
, both located in the state of Chiapas. By the end of the year, the airline received a second BAe 146
BAe 146
The British Aerospace 146 is a medium-sized commercial airliner formerly manufactured in the United Kingdom by British Aerospace, later part of BAE Systems. Production ran from 1983 until 2002. Manufacture of an improved version known as the Avro RJ began in 1992...
and had initiated service from the two towns in Chiapas to Villahermosa
Villahermosa
Like most of the Tabasco, Villahermosa has a tropical climate. The city specifically features a tropical monsoon climate. Temperatures during spring and summer seasons reach upwards of 40°C , with humidity levels hovering around 30% during the same period...
, Mérida
Mérida, Yucatán
Mérida is the capital and largest city of the Mexican state of Yucatán and the Yucatán Peninsula. It is located in the northwest part of the state, about from the Gulf of Mexico coast...
, Oaxaca
Oaxaca, Oaxaca
The city and municipality of Oaxaca de Juárez, or simply Oaxaca, is the capital and largest city of the Mexican state of the same name . It is located in the Centro District in the Central Valleys region of the state, in the foothills of the Sierra Madre at the base of the Cerro del Fortín...
, Chetumal
Chetumal
Chetumal is a city on the east coast of the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico. It is the capital of the state of Quintana Roo and the municipal seat of the Municipality of Othón P. Blanco...
, and Cancún
Cancún
Cancún is a city of international tourism development certified by the UNWTO . Located on the northeast coast of Quintana Roo in southern Mexico, more than 1,700 km from Mexico City, the Project began operations in 1974 as Integrally Planned Center, a pioneer of FONATUR Cancún is a city of...
.
In 1991, Aviacsa exchanged its fleet of BAe 146 aircraft for four 108-seat Fokker F100
Fokker F100
The Fokker 100 is a medium size twin-turbofan airliner from the Fokker company. Low operational costs and almost no competition in the 100-seat short-range class made it a best seller when it was introduced in the late 1980s, but decayed due to increasing competition. Production ended in 1997 with...
aircraft. With these new planes, the airline was able to initiate flights from Monterrey to Mérida and Cancún
Cancún
Cancún is a city of international tourism development certified by the UNWTO . Located on the northeast coast of Quintana Roo in southern Mexico, more than 1,700 km from Mexico City, the Project began operations in 1974 as Integrally Planned Center, a pioneer of FONATUR Cancún is a city of...
, as well as service from Mexico City to Mérida and Villahermosa
Villahermosa
Like most of the Tabasco, Villahermosa has a tropical climate. The city specifically features a tropical monsoon climate. Temperatures during spring and summer seasons reach upwards of 40°C , with humidity levels hovering around 30% during the same period...
. Between 1992 and 1995 its main operation hubs were Mérida and Tuxtla Gutiérrez
Tuxtla Gutiérrez
Tuxtla Gutiérrez is the capital and largest city of the Mexican state of Chiapas. It is considered to be the state’s most modern city, with most of its public buildings dating from the 20th century. One exception to this is the San Marcos Cathedral which began as a Dominican parish church built in...
.
In 1994, Aviacsa exchanged its fleet of Fokker F100s for a fleet of four 164-seat Boeing 727-200
Boeing 727
The Boeing 727 is a mid-size, narrow-body, three-engine, T-tailed commercial jet airliner, manufactured by Boeing. The Boeing 727 first flew in 1963, and for over a decade more were built per year than any other jet airliner. When production ended in 1984 a total of 1,832 aircraft had been produced...
s. The airline also launched a charter division, temporarily utilizing the Fokker F100s. The company was privatized and sold to Aerojecutivo, also known as Aeroexo, a charter company
Charter Company
The Charter Company of Jacksonville, Florida was a conglomerate with more than 180 subsidiaries that was in the Fortune 500 for 11 years beginning in 1974 and ranked 61st in 1984 before it sought bankruptcy protection in late 1984 and spiraled into obscurity....
based in Monterrey.
In 1995, it changed its livery to a white plane, blue stripes, gray bottom, and painted its iconic smile painted on the nose of its airplanes, making it the second airline to have a smile; the first was Pacific Southwest Airlines
Pacific Southwest Airlines
Pacific Southwest Airlines was a United States airline headquartered in San Diego, California, that operated from 1949 to 1988. It was one of the first large discount airlines in the United States and is considered a precursor to Southwest Airlines...
.
In 1997, Aviacsa leased two Douglas DC-9-15 aircraft and was able to increase frequencies to its destinations. It announced that in its three years of charter operations, it had successfully carried out 1020 charter flights to cities within Mexico, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
, Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
, and South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. In December 1999 the airline acquired four Boeing 737-200
Boeing 737
The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...
s and added them to its fleet.
Between 2000 and 2005, Aviacsa introduced new flights and destinations throughout Mexico, as well as scheduled service to five US cities. In 2000, it changed its image, slogan, and corporate logo. Between 2001 and 2004, the airline began leasing and purchasing used 737-200s to help increase its route capabilities.
In 2005, Aviacsa launched its online ticket shopping webpage, and introduced Boeing 737-300s to replace its 727s.
Low-cost era (2007-2009)
On January 1, 2007, seriously affected by the recently launched InterjetInterjet
ABC Aerolíneas, S.A. de C.V., operating as Interjet, is a low-cost airline with its headquarters in Lomas de Chapultepec, Miguel Hidalgo, Mexico City, Mexico. The airline operates scheduled flights to 24 domestic and 3 international destinations out of Toluca Airport and Mexico City International...
, VivaAerobus and Volaris
Volaris
Concesionaria Vuela Compañía de Aviación, S.A. de C.V., operating as Volaris, is a low-cost airline from Mexico, and the country's second largest airline after Aeroméxico, thus being a leading competitor in the Mexican domestic market, with a market share of around 13-14% of domestic...
, Aviacsa began marketing as a Low-cost airline, ending service to Chicago
O'Hare International Airport
Chicago O'Hare International Airport , also known as O'Hare Airport, O'Hare Field, Chicago Airport, Chicago International Airport, or simply O'Hare, is a major airport located in the northwestern-most corner of Chicago, Illinois, United States, northwest of the Chicago Loop...
, Houston
George Bush Intercontinental Airport
George Bush Intercontinental Airport, is a Class B international airport in Houston, Texas, serving the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area, the sixth-largest metropolitan area in the United States. Located north of Downtown Houston between Interstate 45 and U.S. Highway 59...
, Los Angeles
Los Angeles International Airport
Los Angeles International Airport is the primary airport serving the Greater Los Angeles Area, the second-most populated metropolitan area in the United States. It is most often referred to by its IATA airport code LAX, with the letters pronounced individually...
and Miami
Miami International Airport
Miami International Airport , also known as MIA and historically Wilcox Field, is the primary airport serving the South Florida area...
, focusing instead on the domestic market.
Suspension and resume era (2009-present)
In June 2009 the Mexican government grounded 25 aircraft after officials said that the airline had maintenance irregularities. The airline is appealing this ruling citing, among other things, reports from the FAA and third party inspectors which have deemed the airline to be safe.On July 6, 2009 the Mexican government again grounded the airline for the third time in five weeks over claims that the airline owed over 292 million pesos (about $22 million) in fees for use of Mexican airspace. AVIACSA officials have accused the government of trying to put them out of business in response to pressure from other Mexican airlines. Some of its routes are now being served by Aeromexico Connect and Interjet.
Although Aviacsa was slated to resume operations, on May 4, 2011 it was announced that ticket sales would not continue, casting doubt on the airline's future.
Fleet
The Aviacsa fleet includes the following aircraft (as of March 2011):- 3 Boeing 737-200 (120 seats)
As of 2011, the average age of the Aviacsa fleet is 26.3 years, the oldest fleet of the Mexican airlines.
Retired Fleet
- BAe 146BAe 146The British Aerospace 146 is a medium-sized commercial airliner formerly manufactured in the United Kingdom by British Aerospace, later part of BAE Systems. Production ran from 1983 until 2002. Manufacture of an improved version known as the Avro RJ began in 1992...
- Boeing 727-100
- Boeing 727-200 Advanced
- Fokker 100
- McDonnell Douglas DC-9-15
- Boeing 737-300Boeing 737 ClassicThe Boeing 737 Classic is the name given to the -300/-400/-500 series of the Boeing 737 following the introduction of the -600/-700/-800/-900 series. They are short- to medium- range, narrow-body jet airliners produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The Classic series was introduced as the 'new...