Aeromar has not reached an agreement at the last minute and this Wednesday has announced the final closure of its operations after more than 35 years of flight. Through a statement, the company harassed by million-dollar debts has announced that the decision responds to a series of “financial problems” and the “difficulty of closing agreements with viable conditions” to operate in the long term. The company’s executives affirm that despite the internal adjustments made by the adverse environment aggravated by the pandemic, they prevented the firm from refloating. The imminent closure of the company leaves more than 600 people—among them 80 pilots—who worked on its routes in suspense. According to sources in the sector, the accumulated debts of the airline with the Mexican treasury, for labor benefits, suppliers, fuels and services, add up to more than 4,000 million pesos.
“As of February 15, 2013, Aeromar will stop flying to and from Mexico City, Acapulco, Aguascalientes, Cancun, Chetumal, Ciudad Victoria, Colima, Cozumel, Guadalajara, Ixtapa, Zihuatanejo, Ixtepec, Mazatlan, Merida, Monterrey, Piedras Negras, Puerto Escondido, Puebla, Puerto Vallarta, Tepic and Villahermosa, in Mexico. Havana, in Cuba, Laredo and McAllen in Texas, United States,” the statement said. The company has mentioned that once they have information on the alternatives they can offer to travelers who still have tickets with Aeromar, they will be informed.
The closure announcement by the company’s executives comes hours before the ultimatum that the Mexico City International Airport (AICM) had given them to cover the debt of 522 million pesos for taxes and use of hangars expired. in your terminal. Since last January 13, the capital’s aerodrome had already intervened its facilities, but allowed them to operate. However, since this Wednesday morning the firm’s flights already appeared on the monitors as cancelled.
After the announcement of the closure was made known, the Ministry of Labor has mentioned that it will coordinate with the aeronautical unions and with Aeromexico, Viva Aerobus and Volaris to take advantage of the experience and talent of workers who wish to continue working to incorporate them into their templates. “At the request of the workers, the precautionary seizure of the assets of the Aeromar company was proceeded, to guarantee the payment of their debts in a preferential manner,” added the federal agency through a statement.
Aeromexico has reported that in support of passengers affected by the cessation of Aeromar operations, it has issued an exclusive protection policy for passengers who have reservations with said airline for the cities of Colima, Tepic, Ciudad Victoria, Piedras Negras, McAllen and Ixtepec, in which it will offer a 20% discount on the purchase of round or single tickets from the nearest airports where Aeromexico has operations. In addition, this company has announced that it will advance the start of direct operations from Mexico City to Ciudad Victoria, Colima and Tepic, starting next March 16.
The Aeromar debacle is added, now, to Interjet, the Mexican airline that in 2020 suspended operations also due to financial problems and with the Mexican tax authorities. The company, created in 1987 by Marcos Katz, a Polish immigrant, found a market in Mexico by offering short routes on aircraft that used less fuel. The businessman died in 2016 and his heirs, warn specialists in the sector, never managed to get the firm off the ground again. The company, aimed at a regional market with short routes and few passengers, had a fleet of 10 aircraft, however, lately, problems with creditors and maintenance had left them with only two aircraft. As of this Wednesday, it will be the lawyers, creditors and former workers who define the future of what remains on land.
