Aviacsa and the skies over Mexico
(Photo source, Eleconomist.com.mx)
First, by way of disclosure, let me say that my daughter-in-law works for Aviacsa and she has really informed me as to the content of this entry.
Although it is always difficult to really say you understand what is the truth behind the news in Mexico, the recent suspension of the Aviacsa appears to me now to have been a political move designed to help other wealthy and well positioned airline owners move into the lucrative Mexico City airport.
This time the government says that the Airline owes $21 million in Air Traffic Control fees. The last time it was safety violations – less than a month ago – but that suspension was relatively quickly overturned though no doubt it had a devastating effect – not only on Aviacsa’s reputation – but also on their bottom line.
On July 21, the SCT postponed the hearing for Avicasa in the Chamber of Deputies until August 4th and after that – who knows – but the best season of the year will have ended and children are already set to return to classes and Aviacsa will have lost out on whatever summer vacation traffic there was to be.
I can’t help but think we could use a “Secretaría de Comunicaciones y Transportes” that is interested in really going the extra mile to keep airlines up and running, maybe providing support and playing a critical watchdog role – instead of just shutting folks down.
Photo from Las Noticas, Ya.
Aviacsa’s base is in – and the owners are all from from – Monterrey. I don’t know if that plays into the equation.
When the airline first started out they were not a low cost airline. They were always priced at just a bit less expensive than the big two. They still gave food and free drinks, but you could save 500 to 1,000 pesos by flying with them. Really when they started the concept of “low cost” was not even on the horizon.
“No food, no liquor, one bag” and all that we’ve come to accept as consumers has been because the airlines cried that jet fuel and other costs were killing them. Fuel prices have certainly dropped and you can now get to New york for about the same price as going to Cancun. If you want to go to Aguascalientes though, well, there are no special deals there. And a huge percentage of the country remains vastly under served or just plain priced out of competitive flying.
Employees who've run a perfectly sound airline for years have taken to the streets to try to get the planes flying again. Source: TodosSomosAVIACSA
Aviacsa employs about 3,500 people directly in Mexico and another 2,000 people indirectly through outsourcing and subcontractors. And while the Mexican government says they want to create and keep jobs, when they shut down an airline right before Semana Santa – and then again in June at the beginning of the travel season, and then just as summer vacation season really starts – a third shut down – well I have to wonder. Remember Taesa and Aero California? Right before Christmas they got hit by the SCT.
For those of you who read Spanish the Aviacsa employees have a blog so you can read what the all of them have to say. I don’t pretend to know all the ins and outs, and the airline business is competitive but to put so many people out of work instead of allowing the normal inspection and correction procedures to function – and then to not allow then their day in court just reaffirms my sad belief that this is politics as usual.
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