Air Canada and Mexico’s Aeromar are launching an interline partnership that will provide easy connectivity for passengers between destinations in Mexico and Air Canada’s global network via Mexico City, Puerto Vallarta and Cancun. According to the two airlines, the interline agreement is just the start – they are exploring a codeshare relationship and bringing Aeromar onboard as an Aeroplan partner.
Air Canada boosts its Mexican destinations via an Aeromar interline agreement
Air Canada already serves seven destinations in Mexico (Mexico City, Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos, Cozumel, Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo, and Huatulco) from Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary, Ottawa, Halifax, Quebec and Winnipeg. The interline agreement will allow passengers to switch airlines at Mexico City, Puerto Vallarta and Cancun.
From those three airports in Mexico, Aeromar’s connecting destinations include Acapulco, Aguascalientes, Colima, Ciudad Victoria, Flores/Tikal, Guadalajara, Havana, Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo, Ixtepec, Piedras Negras, Puerto Escondido, Tepic and Villahermosa.
“Mexico is an extremely popular market for Canadian leisure travelers as well as a significant business market due to our countries’ trading relationship,” said Mark Galardo, Senior Vice President Network Planning and Revenue Management at Air Canada. “This agreement will advance our strategy to strengthen our major Canadian hubs with connecting traffic. We look forward to deepening our partnership with Aeromar to the benefit of both airlines’ customers.”
Aeromar is also planning to sign up as an Aeroplan partner airline. Photo: Air Canada
Mexico is a good market for Air Canada
After a bumpy winter, Air Canada is now busy boosting its flights to Mexico. This summer, Air Canada expects to exceed its pre-pandemic capacity on flights to Mexico. By next winter, the airline expects to operate over 100 flights to week to Mexico.
Of course, it’s not all one way traffic. Aeromar passengers can wizz up to Canada on Air Canada services then forward travel to destinations around the world. Aeromar’s Chief Network Officer Fabricio Cojuc also references the strong commercial and tourism ties between the two countries and says he expects the collaboration with Air Canada to grow.
Before the pandemic disrupted international flying, nearly five million passengers traveled between Mexico and Canada in either direction every year. In 2019, seven carriers serviced the country pair. WestJet had the biggest market share, flying 26% of the 4,863,000 passengers who flew between the two countries that year. Air Canada had the next biggest share – 23.4%. Only one non-Canadian airline flew between the two countries – Aeromexico, with a 12.8% market share. Other airlines on the country pair include Sunwing, InterJet, Swoop, and Air Transat.
Mexico City-based Aeromar operates a fleet of ATR turboprops. Photo: ATR
Value for both airlines
Little known outside its region, Mexico City-based Aeromar has a fleet of 12 ATR aircraft, including five ATR 42s and seven ATR 72s. The airline flies to 17 destinations in Mexico and four international destinations, including Laredo and McAllen in Texas; Havana, Cuba; and Flores, Guatemala. In contrast, Air Canada has around 220 aircraft and flies to 192 destinations in 60 countries.
But both airlines clearly see value in working together. In the next few months, they expect to confirm a codeshare relationship and add Aeromar to Air Canada’s roster of Aeroplan partner airlines.
“Expected to be in place before summer 2022, this cooperation will be Aeroplan’s only partner airline based in Mexico, offering members even more options to accrue and redeem Aeroplan points on all Aeromar operated flights,” a joint statement issued by both airlines reads.
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