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Mexicana May Be Saved, but Only Time Will Tell

Mexicana has not been having a good August, but it looks like a group of fairly wealthy folks want to help the airline end 2010 with a smile.

A group of Mexican investors under the name of "Tenedora K" have put together enough money to buy 95 percent of the troubled airline. They left just enough for the pilots’ union to keep control of the remaining five percent. At this point, Mexicana has not released any information about their sale, but we’d expect to get some news any day now.

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Canceled Flights and Unpaid Pilots Aren't Good Signs for Mexicana

Things are not going well for Mexicana. You already knew that they just became the latest airline to file for bankruptcy, and there’s that whole FAA downgrade thing that has to be a blow to their airline ego. It seems that the bad news is compounding quickly, and we might not be hearing much from them in a few months if their bad luck continues.

Last week the airline suspended ticket sales just days after filing for bankruptcy protection, but the airline promised that they would continue flying for those passengers that already held tickets. The airline hoped that this would give them some time to continue labor talks with some employees, but we just think that this reveals how bad things really are.

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The FAA Downgrades Mexico's Air Safety Rating: What It Means for Travelers

It’s a little too early to start planning spring break just yet, as college coeds haven’t even reported back to the dorms for the fall. However, there’s something that will concern them a little more than this year’s textbook bill. The FAA isn’t cool with Mexico’s airline safety ability, and the agency has downgraded their air safety rating to the level usually enjoyed by third-world countries.

This doesn’t mean that your dreams of delicious tacos in the streets of Mexico City and beer funnels in Cancun are ruined forever, but it does mean that Uncle Sam is slightly concerned about your safety while flying aboard Mexican airlines. Flights will continue, but AeroMexico and Mexicana won’t be getting any new routes to the United States anytime soon. Also, US airlines will stop allowing codeshares on flights operated by Mexican airlines. That means Delta can’t sell AeroMexico flights as their own, and the same goes with American Airlines partnering up with Mexicana.

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New Routes Bring Aloha and College Football to Even More Cities

Sometimes it’s hard to stay on top of all the new route announcements that come our way, so we’ve complied a little bit of a rundown below. As long as you can afford the fares, this should definitely help add to your passport stamp collection.

· Alaska Airlines:
As the economy begins to improve, airlines seem to be working overtime to get vacation-starved passengers to warm and sunny destinations. Alaska Airlines has announced several new routes to the Aloha State, and their latest route will send passengers from San Jose to Kauai. The new route won’t begin until early next year, but come next March it will be possible to fly nonstop from the fancy new airport to Kauai, Kona, and Maui. Sorry Honolulu, but it seems that there’s no reason to get stuck with a stopover anymore.

· Frontier Airlines:
Fresh off their rebranding and merger-thing, the airline that loves furry animals is mixing things up to and from its hub in Milwaukee. Frontier Airlines has announced new flights from its hub to Hartford and San Antonio this fall. Connecticut flights will begin September 27, and flights to Texas begin November 19. These routes aren’t too exciting by themselves, but if you love Frontier the new connection opportunities should help you get where you need to be.

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New Airline Routes from TACA, Qatar, American and More

Sometimes it’s hard to stay on top of all the new route announcements that come our way, so we’ve complied a little bit of a rundown below. As long as you can afford the fares, this should definitely help add to your passport stamp collection.

· TACA Airlines:
You probably haven’t flown TACA Airlines often, or even heard of them, but it’s good to know that the airline is an option for your travels to Medellin, Colombia and Guayaquil, Ecuador. Both flights will head out of New York, and the flights to Colombia will make a quick connection in Costa Rica and the Ecuador flights will stop in El Salvador on the way. July 17 is when the Medellin route kicks off, and both flights will be heading back and forth by August 1.

· Qatar Airways:
We would really love to try out Qatar Airways—especially when their 787s are available and weighed down with awesome in-flight entertainment. They’re looking to expand things even before their new planes arrive, as the airline is starting new flights to Bangkok via Kuala Lumpur. These flights start October 11, but November will bring flights to Hanoi and Nice. Finally, Bucharest, Budapest, and Brussels will all be available from Doha beginning in January.

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More No-Fly List Drama Sees Flight Interrupted in Montreal

Over this weekend, while you were likely BBQing or breaking out your swimsuit for the summer, more Federal No Fly List drama went down in the skies. An Aeromexico flight from Paris to Mexico City was diverted to Montreal when it was discovered that a passenger onboard was listed on the US' No-Fly List.

Abdirahman Ali Gaal, believed to be a part of al-Shabaab, an al-Qaida ally in Somalia, was removed from the plane, which then continued on to Mexico City. So why, you ask, would a flight that does not land in the US be stopped abroad for a passengers on a US list? Well, it's simple: the United States wouldn't allow the plane to fly into its airspace. And you kind of need that permission when you're on a Paris-Mexico City flight.

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Breaking: Aeromexico Flight From Cancun Hijacked

Update: 4:00pm EST: The AP reports that the passengers have safely disembarked and that Mexican security forces have boarded the plane, where the crew remains. The Mexico City airport is still open to departing and arriving flights.

It is being reported now through Mexican press and on Twitter via @BreakingNews that an Aeromexico flight from Cancun was hijacked by armed men today.

The flight has apparently just landed in Mexico City, which was it's original destination, and passengers are unloading amongst security forces. It is flight number 576, a Boeing 737. Reuters Canada reports that three Bolivian men earlier seized control of the plane and threatened to blow it up unless they were allowed to speak to President Felipe Calderon.

Stay tuned as we wait for more news on this event, hopefully in English and hopefully an official confirmation of passenger safety from Aeromexico.

Related Stories:
· Mexican Airliner Hijacked [Breaking News]
· Aeromexico No Longer Minds A Few In-Flight Cell Phone Calls [Jaunted]
· Aeromexico Coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Enrique Gracia]

In-Flight Cell Phones / Aeromexico / Airline News / → All Tags

Aeromexico No Longer Minds A Few In-Flight Cell Phone Calls

Get your earplugs ready—on Monday, Mexico lifted a law banning in-flight cell phone use, and now Aeromexico is licking its chops at the thought of giving their passengers the privilege of phoning home first.

With the law gone and Aeromexico's already stating that passengers would be allowed to use their cell phones in-flight, except for during takeoffs, landings, and when flight attendants say not to, we dare you to test it out on your flights to Mexico this Labor Day weekend. Perhaps on your way home on Monday night, call for a cab and then for Thai takeout, all the while flying 35,000-feet somewhere above Louisiana.

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AeroMexico Cashes in on College Lushes

Hats off to AeroMexico for getting in on one of the world's most random air routes. The airline just launched its non-stop service from Tijuana to Tokyo (Narita). In the interest of full disclosure, the flight originates in Mexico City before stopping in Tijuana and continuing on, but make no mistake about it: AM is full-on promoting its Tijuana to Narita service.

AeroMexico flies a 2-class 777 on the route, with business-class and economy cabins. Flights depart Tijuana on Tuesdays and Fridays, and Narita on Wednesdays on Saturdays. Like that's not a sheisty plan...catch those SDSU students at the beginning of their extended weekend benders and let them ship themselves off to Japan before they come to. Friday departures (which are really late-late-night Thursday) arrive in Narita in the early morning, with enough time to catch AeroMexico's Saturday afternoon return flight once you've processed your mistake. We suppose this could also be used for honest vacations and business trips too.

[Photo: Enrique Gracia]