Aeromexico is expanding in the United States even as its crucial partnership with Delta Air Lines is being questioned by U.S. regulators.
Mexico’s national carrier will begin flights between Tampa International Airport (TPA) and Mexico City International Airport (MEX), the airline and TPA officials said Monday.
The airline will operate the flight, which will operate daily from July 1, with a 99-seat Embraer E190 jet.
“This new service is made possible by the Aeromexico-Delta alliance, which offers more and better options to passengers in both Mexico and the United States,” Aeromexico said in a press release about the new TPA flight.
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Delta Air Lines owns about 20% of Aeromexico and the two airlines operate a joint venture for flights between Mexico and the US.
Tampa becomes the 23rd U.S. city served by Aeromexico, which significantly expanded its U.S. footprint this year by opening flights to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) and McAllen International Airport (MFE) in Texas, Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) in North Carolina and Dulles International Airport (IAD) near Washington, D.C.
However, the expansion comes as Aeromexico faces opposition from the U.S. Department of Transportation over its close partnership with Atlanta-based Delta.
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Last month, the DOT said it would not renew approval of the airlines’ antitrust immunity agreement for the time being, a move that would force the airlines to wind down the joint venture and reconsider how they operate and coexist.
The DOT cited steps taken by the Mexican government at MEX in its rejection of continued antitrust immunity for the two airlines, arguing that Mexico’s management of the takeoff and landing slots at MEX was “opaque and anticompetitive,” causing Aeromexico gained an advantage over new airlines. -joining airlines.
The US regulator also said the Mexican government had halted air cargo operations at MEX due to declining flight capacity due to infrastructure problems at the airport, requiring renovations to handle an increased number of flights.
“However,” the DOT said, “the Mexican government recently admitted that no such construction plans exist.”
In a filing with the DOT late last week, Delta sharply objected to the DOT’s order, arguing that rates would increase and “$800 million in annual consumer benefits would evaporate.”
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“Nearly two dozen routes between the United States and Mexico would be at risk of cancellation and capacity reduction, with large narrow-body aircraft replaced by smaller aircraft on at least ten other routes,” Delta said in the filing .
‘Perversely, it’s the consumers, not the [government of Mexico]would pay the price for the [government of Mexico’s] alleged disloyalty to the agreement,” the airline added. “This is poor policy on the part of the Department and would lead to harmful consequences for consumers, communities and competition.”
According to the interim DOT order, the airlines must dissolve the partnership by October 26. It was not clear what the next steps or options were for the airlines. Spokespeople for Delta and the DOT did not immediately respond to a request for comment from TPG.