Aeromexico Taps Tampa As New U.S. Destination Amid Delta JV Uncertainty

Aeromexico will open service between Mexico City International Airport (MEX) and Tampa International Airport (TPA) in Florida in July, adding a new destination to its U.S. network amid uncertainty about the future of its antitrust-immunized transborder joint venture (JV) with Delta Air Lines.

Aeromexico will be the only carrier flying the MEX-TPA route. It will operate the service daily from July 1 using an Embraer E190 aircraft configured with 99 seats.

TPA called the route announcement a “major win” for the airport, adding in a statement that it “has listed the Mexican capital as one of its top-targeted international destinations for years.”

The U.S. Transportation Department (DOT) has tentatively ruled that Aeromexico must unwind its JV with Delta in place since 2017, blaming Mexico for being “fundamentally out of compliance” with the bilateral air services agreement between the countries. 

The airlines have since pushed back. Delta called the ruling an “unprecedented, regulatory overreach by the DOT” that will result in “significant harm to consumers” on transborder routes.

Far from unwinding the JV, the airlines had instead been planning to ramp up the JV in the aftermath of Mexico’s safety status being upgraded by the U.S. FAA in September 2023, allowing for new transborder expansion. The carriers had planned to offer 30% more seats on transborder routes in July 2024 versus July 2023, with nearly 60 daily JV departures between the two SkyTeam airlines.

Following the DOT tentative decision, Aeromexico dropped the planned resumption of flights from Monterrey to three U.S. destinations—Los Angeles, New York John F. Kennedy and Salt Lake City. The carrier previously intended to operate each sector daily.

But moving forward with a new route indicates Aeromexico still plans U.S. expansion where feasible, while also joining Delta to push the DOT into reconsidering before issuing a final ruling. 

“This new service to the Tampa Bay area demonstrates our commitment to offer the best connectivity between Mexico and the United States, hand in hand with our partner Delta Air Lines,” says Jose Zapata, Aeromexico’s VP of sales for the U.S., Canada and Latin America.

TPA predicts the MEX route “will benefit both business and leisure travelers, as well as the many Tampa Bay area families with Mexico ties.”

Tampa will become the 23rd U.S. destination served by Aeromexico, which currently operates to Florida cities Miami and Orlando.

“It’s a big day when we get to announce both a new airline and a new route that connects Tampa Bay with the largest metropolitan area in North America,” TPA CEO Joe Lopano says.