Aeroméxico Reportedly Plans 3 US Routes

MEXICO · AVIATION

Aeroméxico is reported to have scheduled three daily flights from Mexico City to US cities from January. They would be its first US routes planned since Washington ended its freeze.

Aeroméxico US routes could grow by three in January 2027, according to reports of daily flights from Mexico City. The destinations are Orange County in California, Fort Lauderdale in Florida and Portland in Oregon.

El Financiero reported the schedule on Sunday, 25 October, and said the itineraries are already on sale. The airline had not confirmed the routes and told the newspaper it would add information on Monday.

What the Schedules Show

The first flight is Mexico City to Orange County, served by John Wayne Airport, on 10 January 2027. Fort Lauderdale follows on 14 January and Portland on 21 January.

Those dates come from Aviation Club Center, a Latin American aviation outlet that cites Cirium, an aviation data provider. It warns that the schedule may change before launch.

Aviation Club Center reports one flight a day on a Boeing 737 on each route, or 21 weekly departures from Mexico City. It did not publish departure times.

El Financiero gave only mid-January as the start and named Florida without an airport. It said Florida and Portland are routes Aeroméxico would recover, while Santa Ana, site of John Wayne Airport, would be added.

Both outlets say the flights leave from Mexico City International Airport, known as AICM, the airline’s main hub. El Financiero called it the first Mexican airline to schedule new US routes since the freeze ended.

Why the US Freeze Ended

The US Department of Transportation (DOT) revoked its freeze on Friday, 16 October 2026, with immediate effect. Mexico’s foreign and transport ministries announced the decision in a joint statement, Semanario Zeta reported.

Aeroméxico said in its own statement that the revocation lets it add frequencies and launch new US services from Mexico City. It said the DOT found that Mexico’s actions addressed its concerns.

The freeze was an order of 28 October 2025 that blocked new routes and extra flights from Mexico City’s two airports. AeroCorner, which cites the order, says it also disapproved 13 existing or planned routes.

DOT’s new order, numbered 2026-10-8, says Mexico’s steps “sufficiently address” the concerns, AeroCorner reported. Mexico’s statement links the change to a consultation memorandum signed in May 2026.

What Mexico Changed

AeroCorner says Washington objected to hourly slot cuts at the Mexico City airport and the move of all-cargo flights to Felipe Ángeles. Slots are the permitted take-off and landing times.

Under the May memorandum, Mexico agreed to return slots to US passenger airlines, AeroCorner reported. It also agreed to allow US cargo-only flights at the main airport.

Mexico also replaced its 85/15 slot-use rule with the 80/20 global standard, AeroCorner reported. Under 80/20, an airline must fly at least 80% of its slots or lose them.

Two other DOT orders stay in force, AeroCorner reported. Mexican airlines must still file their US schedules with the department, and large charter flights still need specific approval.

Aeroméxico Results and the Fuel Bill

Aeroméxico (NYSE: AERO) reported record third-quarter revenue of US$1.6 billion on Monday, 19 October, up 13.6% from a year earlier. Fuel cost US$469.0 million, up US$171.5 million, which by simple arithmetic is about 29 cents of each revenue dollar.

Net income was US$40.6 million, down 58.1% from US$97 million a year earlier, the company’s release shows. The airline had 170 aircraft on 30 September and US$1.2 billion in liquidity.

Chief executive Andrés Conesa told analysts the revocation gives the airline more flexibility to grow its US network, El CEO reported. On 20 October he said a first group of US routes could follow the next week, Medios OBSON and Airways reported.

That timing fits El Financiero’s report that Aeroméxico would add information on Monday. The routes remain unconfirmed until the airline publishes them.

What Analysts and Airports Say About Timing

Admiral José Padilla Olmos, director of the Mexico City airport, said no airline had yet filed a request for new flights. El CEO reported this on 21 October.

Koen Karsbergen of Air52 Aviation Consultants told El CEO that most new flying would start in late March 2027. He also said fuel was about 70% dearer than in 2025.

A US review of Mexico’s aviation oversight also matters. El CEO reported 21 preliminary findings, a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) visit in December and a final result in February 2027.

Losing the top safety category, Category 1, would bar Mexican airlines from adding routes, as happened in May 2021, El CEO reported. The final result is not due until February.

What It Means for US Readers

Residents of Orange County, South Florida and Portland could fly nonstop to Mexico City and connect onward on one airline. Nothing is bookable with certainty until the airline confirms the schedule.

Aeroméxico is a Delta Air Lines partner. The 11th Circuit vacated DOT’s order to unwind their joint venture in August, as this report on the Delta alliance explains.

For investors, the airline’s New York-listed shares trade under AERO. US carriers may also benefit, because DOT says Mexico is returning the slots they lost, AeroCorner reported.

Background is in reports on the lifting of the US flight limits and the US audit of Mexico’s air safety. The guide to who runs Mexico’s economy and the Mexico news hub explain the wider picture.

What Is Not Known

Aeroméxico has not confirmed the three routes, the start dates or the fares. As of 26 October, the dates rest on Cirium data reported by one outlet, and El Financiero gives only mid-January.

The sources disagree on detail: El Financiero names Florida without an airport, while Aviation Club Center names Fort Lauderdale. AeroCorner’s list of the 13 blocked routes does not include any of these three.

Departure times, aircraft allocation and DOT acceptance of the schedule filings are not reported. The DOT order itself could not be opened, so its terms rest on AeroCorner’s account and Mexico’s statement.

What Comes Next

Aeroméxico told El Financiero it would add information on Monday, 26 October, and had not published the routes when checked. Aviation Club Center lists the first flight, to Orange County, for 10 January 2027.

The reported routes do not mean the 13 blocked routes return automatically, and they do not settle the FAA safety review. Each schedule still goes through DOT filing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which US routes is Aeroméxico reportedly planning?

Daily flights from Mexico City to Orange County, Fort Lauderdale and Portland, according to El Financiero and Aviation Club Center. The airline has not yet confirmed them.

When would the flights start?

Aviation Club Center lists 10 January for Orange County, 14 January for Fort Lauderdale and 21 January for Portland. El Financiero says only mid-January.

Why can Aeroméxico add US routes now?

The US Department of Transportation revoked its freeze on new Mexican flights from Mexico City’s airports on 16 October 2026. It said Mexico’s steps addressed its concerns.

Does the freeze ending mean every blocked route returns?

No, airlines must still file new schedules. Analysts quoted by El CEO expect a gradual restart, with most new flying from late March 2027.

Could the FAA review stop new routes?

A downgrade from Category 1 would bar new routes, as in May 2021, El CEO reported. The final result is expected in February 2027.

Sources: El Financiero, 25 October; Aviation Club Center, 25 October; Aeroméxico statement on the DOT revocation; Aeroméxico third-quarter 2026 results, 19 October; Semanario Zeta, SICT and SRE statement; El CEO, 21 October; El CEO, third-quarter profit; AeroCorner, DOT Order 2026-10-8; Airways, 20 October; Medios OBSON, 20 October; Delta statement on the court ruling, 21 August (all accessed 26 October 2026).