ATW Daily News

Mexicana becomes oneworld's 11th member

Tuesday November 10, 2009

Mexicana and its affiliates officially became oneworld's 11th member at midnight last night, adding 24 Mexican destinations, Edmonton and Oakland to the alliance's map.

Iberia Chairman and CEO Antonio Vazquez, whose airline sponsored MX's entry, said the alliance's newest member "will considerably strengthen oneworld's long-established position as the leading airline alliance in the Spanish-speaking world and in Latin America." LAN Airlines is oneworld's other Latin American member.

All alliance benefits and services are available to MX passengers on the mainline and MexicanaClick and MexicanaLink subsidiaries from today. The company serves 67 destinations in 14 countries. Other oneworld members currently serve 13 Mexican airports.

"Work is well advanced in linking up Mexicana's IT systems to those of oneworld's established members. This has been eased by Mexicana switching its main platform earlier this year to Amadeus Altea, which is already used by seven other oneworld airlines," MX said.

The MX mainline operates 26 A320s, 21 A319s, 10 A318s, two A330s, two 767-200s and two 767-300s. MexicanaClick flies 24 F100s and six 717s, while MexicanaLink uses 12 CRJ200s.

Oneworld said its global network now comprises nearly 750 airports in close to 150 countries, with airlines operating almost 2,500 aircraft on some 8,500 daily flights. Russia's S7 Airlines is slated to become the 12th member next year (ATWOnline, May 27).

by Brian Straus

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