MEXICO: Interjet Airlines Enters Interline Agreement With Emirates

Agreement with Dubai based airline provides Emirates customers flying to Mexico convenient connections to Interjet’s 55 destinations in Mexico, the U.S., Canada, Central and South America.

Interjet customers now have greater connectivity to the more than 150 destinations where Emirates flies.

Interjet Airlines today, announced yet another interline agreement, this time with Emirates, providing customers convenient connections between the networks of Interjet and Emirates.

Now customers have the convenience of purchasing a single ticket for flights on either airline, checking baggage at their origination to their final destination, and easy connections at the airports served by both carriers.

We are very excited to announce another important interline agreement between Interjet Airlines and Emirates, said Jose Luis Garza, General Director for Interjet.

Our commitment has been to offer our business and leisure travellers everywhere we fly, our unique brand of lower prices with free checked bags on select fares, more legroom between seats and great service that differentiates us from our peer competitors.

Now with our Emirates agreement, along with recent interline agreements with Japan Airlines, Lufthansa, and EVA Air, we can offer our customers greater connectivity to more of the world, he added.

Emirates launched operations in 1985 with just two aircraft and today, flies the world’s biggest fleets of Airbus A380s and Boeing 777s, to more than 150 destinations worldwide.

The airline is based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and is a subsidiary of The Emirates Group.

Interjet - official legal name ABC Aerolíneas, S.A. de C.V. is a Mexican airline headquartered in Mexico City, Mexico’s third largest airline after Aeromexico and Volaris.

The airline operates scheduled flights to and from various destinations within Mexico, as well as to and from the Caribbean, Central America, North America and South America out of Mexico City International Airport.

The airline is a family business: the president and CEO is Miguel Alemán Magnani, son of Miguel Alemán Velasco, who is president of the group that owns the airline, Grupo Alemán. Alemán Velasco is son of ex-president Miguel Alemán Valdés, who amassed a fortune while in office 1946–1952, thus building the family fortune.

The airline described itself as the JetBlue of Mexico. However by 2018 the airline had moved to a hybrid model, with low prices but high costs and extras such as extra legroom, free legroom, and a more generous luggage policy, associated with traditional carriers.

Interjet also operates several charter flights throughout the American continent, mainly in the Caribbean.

Interjet started operations on December 1, 2005, with one Airbus A320 aircraft. The airline placed an order for 25 new A320 aircraft to replace the second-hand ones, which was increased by another ten aircraft on January 10, 2010.

Initially most Interjet flights were to and from its hub in Toluca International Airport, which it branded Mexico City - Toluca Airport and which was widely seen at the time as a viable base for low-cost carrier service for the Mexico City market.

By 2008 it had 14 routes in and out of Toluca and 3 between other cities. After the demise of Mexico City-based competitor Aero California in August 2008, Interjet took over the vacant slots and established flight services to Mexico City International Airport.

On July 21, 2011, Interjet made the first flight in North America and the fourth worldwide using biofuel, on the Mexico City – Tuxtla Gutierrez route, with an Airbus A320-200, registration XA-ECO.

In 2012 the Sukhoi Superjet 100 (SSJ100) sold for about a half of a comparable Bombardier Aerospace or Embraer aircraft. Interjet CEO Jose Luis Garza says it was the best choice for hot and high Mexico City, a bold bet on Russia’s first major airliner since the Soviet Union collapse.

On March 2, 2015, Interjet firmed 10 SSJ100 options valued at $350 million.

In January 2018, Four out of 22 of Interjet's SSJ100s were cannibalized for parts to keep others running after having been grounded for at least five months because of SaM146 maintenance delays.

This was later refuted by InterJet.

Interjet flies between locations in Mexico, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Guatemala, Peru, and the United States from its bases in Cancún, Guadalajara, Mexico City, and Monterrey.

Interjet has also become a popular choice for surfers traveling to Mexico because of its baggage policy of not charging extra fees for those passengers transporting a surfboard on domestic flights.

On July 1, 2011, Interjet began flights to its first international and Central America destination; to La Aurora International Airport in Guatemala City from Mexico City International Airport.

On February 23, 2012, Interjet started flights to its first U.S. destination; to Miami International Airport from Benito Juárez International Airport.

On June 21 that year the airline began flights to its second Central America destination; to San José de Costa Rica from Benito Juárez International Airport.

On August 2, 2012, Interjet began flights to its second U.S. destination to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City from Benito Juárez International Airport.

On August 27 the same year the airline received permission to fly to John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana, California; from Guadalajara International Airport in Guadalajara and Benito Juárez International Airport.

The airline began daily scheduled flights six weeks later on October 11. On June 13, 2014, Interjet announced that it would end John Wayne Airport flights on July 20, 2014.

Interjet intended to serve flights from Toluca to various cities in the United States, including O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas and San Antonio International Airport in San Antonio.

As of 2013, only flights to Las Vegas and San Antonio had begun, with flights to Las Vegas from Lic. Adolfo López Mateos International Airport in Toluca beginning on November 15, 2012.

On July 10, 2013, Interjet began service to El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá from Mexico City International Airport.

On June 10, 2014, Interjet and Iberia began a codeshare agreement on their flights.

On October 23, 2014, Interjet began service to Houston - George Bush Intercontinental Airport from Monterrey International Airport.

On February 18, 2016, Interjet began service to Los Angeles International Airport from Guadalajara International Airport.

On May 5, 2016; Interjet began its first ever service to Jorge Chavez International Airport in Lima, Peru from Mexico City.

On October 20, 2016, Interjet launched service to Los Angeles International Airport from Benito Juarez International Airport in Mexico City.

On May 15, 2017, Interjet announced its first routes to Canada, with thrice weekly flights to Montreal from both Cancun and Mexico City with Airbus A320 aircraft.

On July 28, 2017, Pearson International Airport in Toronto became the airline's second Canadian destination. On October 26, 2017, Vancouver became the airline’s third Canadian destination.

On March 14, 2018, Interjet began flights to San Francisco International Airport from Cancun and Guadalajara.

In 2015 several airlines began codeshare agreements with Interjet.

It was announced in 2015 that Interjet would join the OneWorld airline alliance but as of March 2018, this had not happened.

However Interjet has codeshare agreements with the following airlines:

- American Airlines

- Iberia

- LATAM Airlines

Interjet has a distinctive frequent-flyer program, called Club Interjet, in which it rewards its members with cash instead of with points or miles.

As of June 2018, the Interjet fleet consists of the following aircraft:

- Airbus A320-200 47

- Airbus A320neo 3

- Airbus A321-200 6

- Airbus A321neo 6

- Sukhoi Superjet 100 22

Total 84


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