By Juan Pedro Sanchez Zamudio
Aeromexico Restarts More Flights, Achieves 75% Recovery
Aeromexico announced that for this month it will maintain an increase in its operations from 25 to 39 domestic destinations and will achieve almost 75% recovery in domestic flights compared to September 2019.
In a statement, the airline reported that it will have almost 150 departures per day serving more than 60 destinations in September. In the international market, it will be operating in 22 cities in the U.S., Canada, South America, the Caribbean, Europe and Asia.
According to Milenio, the Mexican airline made an adjustment to its operations because of the reduction in demand from its customers due to the coronavirus outbreak. After a slow, steady recovery, the carrier announced that at the end of the month it will have operated around 7,600 flights, which represents more than four times the number of operations in May.
Aeromexico reopened on Sept. 5 its Premier Lounge at Mérida International Airport. This is the fourth Premier Lounge reopening after the AICM National Premier Lounge, which was the first to restart service on July 1, then the International Premier Lounge that began on Aug. 14 and finally the Premier Lounges in Guadalajara and Monterrey on Aug. 21.
According to 24horas, the measures the airline is taking to ensure a safe reopening of its lounges include deep and constant sanitation, acrylic protectors, temperature measurement and hand sanitizer dispensers, a contact-free experience upon entry, safety signs, staff with sanitary protection equipment, packaged and sanitized snack service.
An Aeromexico 737-800 departs from LAX (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)
According to Forbes, Aeromexico is looking to lay off 1,000 flight attendants, over a third of its total of 2,727. The airline is seeking to reduce its labor costs in the middle of its financial restructuring process.
As announced in June, the carrier began a voluntary financial restructuring process under Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Law in the U.S., with a goal of strengthening its financial position and implementing the necessary operational adjustments to face the impact of COVID-19.
According to Reforma, this plan includes the adjustment of the number of flight attendant staff, the reduction of their hours and the review of the general conditions of their labor contracts.
In March, Aeromexico executed a rotation system for six months due to the decrease in flights, which necessitated leaving 1,360 flight attendants on the ground for two months without receiving any salary.
The three things Juan Pedro loves most about aviation are aircraft, airports, and traveling thousands of miles in just a few hours. What he enjoys the most about aviation is that it is easier and cheaper to travel around the world and this gives you the opportunity to visit places you thought were too far away. He has traveled to different destinations in North, Central, South America and Asia. Born, raised and still living in Perú, Juan is a lawyer, soccer lover, foodie, passionate traveler, dog lover, millennial and curious by nature.