An Aeromar ATR 72-600 at Toulouse-Blagnac Airport in France, 2013 (Photo: Laurent ERRERA licensed under WikiCommons – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aeromar#/media/File:ATR_72-600_Aeromar_(TAO)_F-WWEI_-_MSN_1096_-_Will_be_XA-MKH_(9276777613).jpg)
By Ian McMurtry
Aeromar Launches Second McAllen Route, Initial Monterrey Destination
Celebrating eight years of service to McAllen, the city’s lone international airline is adding a new flight to a new destination for the city. Mexican airline Aeromar will begin to operate flights between the south Texas city and Monterrey, Mexico. The airline will deploy ATR 72s on the route, operating yearly and beginning on April 22nd on a twice-weekly schedule on Thursdays and Sundays.
For the Mexican airline, the service becomes their initial offering of a route from Monterrey. The VivaAerobus hub has prevented the airline from considering growth into the region but the prospect of a new route in a market not served by the low-cost brand has allowed Aeromar to give the Mexican city a chance.
The twice-weekly service will be operated originating from McAllen at 1:15 pm and arrive exactly one hour later into the northern Mexican city. After a little under one hour on the ground, the ATR will depart for the one-hour return leg beginning at 3:10 pm. Aeromar is celebrating the new route with introductory one-way airfare as low as $118.
Aeromar utilizes ATR aircraft from its hub in Mexico City. The airline has a fleet of three ATR 42s and seven ATR 72s that are deployed to 23 destinations across North America and the Caribbean.
Aeromar has had a hot and cold relationship with flights to the southern United States, finding more success where there is less competition. The airline currently operates flights to Laredo and McAllen from Mexico City using ATR 72s on both routes. The airline had previously operated services to Tucson, Austin and San Antonio but those routes have since been disconnected.
Delighted with the news of starting service, McAllen Mayor James Darling commented saying, “the relationship between our communities is a strong one that is based on a unique socioeconomic bond. Our airport is facilitating these strong international connections, we are grateful for our partnership with Aeromar and we are excited about our newest nonstop route to Monterrey.”
For McAllen, the continued support of Aeromar allows an additional nonstop flight direct into the Hispanic nation. This bridge comes from McAllen’s large Hispanic population, which according to the most recent United States Census shows the city having an over 80% Hispanic population.
The airport will also welcome its fourth Allegiant Air destination following the second Aeromar flight in May when seasonal service to Nashville begins. The low-cost airline also serves the city with yearly flights to Las Vegas and seasonal flights to Los Angeles and Orlando-Sanford. McAllen is also served daily with American Airlines and American Eagle-operated flights to Dallas/Ft. Worth and United and United Express branded service to Houston-Bush Intercontinental.
Although Ian McMurtry was never originally an avgeek, he did enjoy watching US Airways aircraft across western Pennsylvania in the early 2000s. He lived along the Pennsylvania Railroad and took a liking to trains but a change of scenery in the mid-2000s saw him shift more of an interest into aviation. He would eventually express this passion by taking flying lessons in mid-Missouri and joining AirlineGeeks in 2013. Now living in Wichita, Kansas, Ian is in college majoring in aerospace engineering and minoring in business administration at Wichita State University.