Summary
- Ending the Delta-Aeromexico partnership could cancel almost two dozen routes, losing 4% of the US-Mexico seats yearly.
- The Delta hub in Atlanta and Aeromexico’s hub in Mexico City can be most affected, losing several routes.
- Low-cost carriers support the alliance, while American Airlines backs its end as a result of ongoing actions by the Mexican Government.
A tentative decision to finish a joint partnership between Aeromexico and Delta Air Lines may end in the loss of just about two dozen routes between america and Mexico. The alliance is about to operate greater than 90 every day transborder flights on nearly 60 routes this summer and is actively urging the federal government to reconsider.
Connecting the Americas
Easy Flying previously revealed that as much as 1.8 million seats are susceptible to being pulled following america Department of Transportation’s announcement that it has tentatively decided to not renew the antitrust immunity agreement, which allows for the three way partnership between Delta Air Lines and the Mexican Flag carrier.
![Delta Air Lines Airbus A319 pushing back at Los Angeles International Airport.](https://static1.simpleflyingimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/shutterstock_1708081408.jpg)
Delta Air Lines Urges US Government To Allow Aeromexico Partnership
As much as 1.8 million seats could evaporate from the market if the partnership is axed.
In line with the objection filed by the airlines, eliminating the agreement would place 21 routes between america and Mexico in danger. Combined with the suspension of additional flights to Delta hubs within the US, as much as 4% of seats between america and Mexico every year may very well be pulled from the airlines’ schedules. Within the joint filing, the 2 airlines detail how dissolving the Joint Cooperation Agreement (JCA) will affect customers:
“Nearly two dozen routes between america and Mexico can be susceptible to cancellation and capability can be reduced, with large narrowbody aircraft to get replaced with smaller aircraft on no less than ten other routes.”
“Without network advantages, fares on JCA routes would definitely increase, and $800 million in annual consumer advantages would evaporate. A considerable variety of jobs can be lost on each side of the border, the variety of tourists between Mexico and america would fall, the GDPs of each countries can be negatively impacted, and competition within the U.S.-Mexico market would erode.”
Photo: Helissa Grundemann | Shutterstock
An additional 1,062 one-stop itineraries on 831 different routes can be placed in danger. At the very least 132 transborder routes with no less than one option with a single layover could haven’t any nonstop or one-stop flight options if the agreement were to be suspended.
Which routes would get cut?
Delta’s hub in Atlanta (ATL) can be essentially the most severely affected. Flights to Leon/Guanajuato (BJX), Merida (MID), Queretaro (QRO), Monterrey (MTY), and Guadalajara (GDL) could see the axe, with the SkyTeam carrier the one airline on the primary three routes.
Aeromexico’s hub at Mexico City’s Benito Juárez International Airport (MEX) would lose several routes on which it’s the only carrier, including Boston, Minneapolis (MSP), Seattle-Tacoma (SEA), and Raleigh-Durham (RDU), which is as a result of begin in July.
From Detroit (DTW), flights to Leon/Guanajuato (BJX), Guadalajara (GDL), Monterrey (MTY), Queretaro (QRO), and one frequency to Mexico City (MEX) are facing suspension, with the three way partnership chargeable for the one service on every route except Mexico City. Similarly, flights from Salt Lake City (SLC) to Guadalajara (GDL), Mexico City (two of three every day frequencies), and Monterrey (MTY) are all in danger and never currently served by another carrier.
![Aeromexico](https://static1.simpleflyingimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/aeromexico-1.jpg)
Aeromexico Scales Back Planned US Expansion After Court Ruling
The Mexican flag carrier can be cutting back on this summer’s scheduled network additions.
Frequencies from Latest York (JFK) and Los Angeles (LAX) to Mexico City (MEX) and Monterrey (MTY) have also been highlighted as unsustainable within the absence of the partnership. Monterrey is a secondary hub for Aeromexico, the only real operator of flights to LAX and JFK from the Mexican city.
Photo: Kate Scott I Shutterstock
An additional ten every day frequencies on seven routes are susceptible to being downgauged. Replacing the currently scheduled aircraft with smaller capability planes would cut back the common seats by 44 per departure, eliminating roughly 160,000 transborder seats annually. Comments and answers from interested parties are due by March fifth, which the Department will consider before drafting a final order. Should the order stand, Delta and Aeromexico would should unwind the elements of their relationship requiring antitrust immunity, tentatively by October twenty sixth, 2024.
What’s the competition saying?
Coming out in support of the legacy airlines are low-cost carriers Allegiant Air and Viva Aerobus. The 2 filed a motion in defense of the partnership and urged the Department of Transportation to proceed with their three way partnership proposal, which might mark the primary of its kind for low-cost carriers between the 2 countries.
![Allegiant plane](https://static1.simpleflyingimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Screen-Shot-2020-11-17-at-7.16.10-PM-1000x549.png)
DOT Suspends Review Of Proposed Joint Enterprise Between Viva Aerobus And Allegiant Air
The department cited the regulations established within the Air Transportation Agreement for its decision.
Aircraft Manufacturer Boeing also filed a motion urging the Department to explore further the “.” When reached for comment by Easy Flying, a spokesperson for the Department of Transportation outlined the agency’s reasoning behind the choice:
“This tentative decision is consistent with longstanding Department policy; specifically, that any alliance receiving or maintaining ATI is based upon a fully-applied liberalized air transport agreement, transparent market entry, and a good and equal opportunity to compete.
“Despite DOT’s repeated warnings to Mexican counterparts, the Government of Mexico isn’t adhering to the 2015 U.S.-Mexico air transport agreement. Consequently, we suspended our review of the Allegiant/Viva Aerobus ATI application on July 31, 2023, and we at the moment are dismissing the Delta-Aeromexico application.”
Photo: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock.
Filing a motion in support of ending the partnership is American Airlines, which “.” The carrier specifically highlighted the issuance of a decree prohibiting all-cargo flights and the reduction of capability at Benito Juárez International Airport (MEX) as noncompliant with the prevailing Open Skies agreement upon which the three way partnership is predicated.