The German airline Lufthansa sees Mexico as the potential growth market in North America and the spearhead of the resurgence of Latin America due to nearshoring and is already preparing new routes to add to its business portfolio: cargo in Monterrey, Nuevo León (to be inaugurated in May) and passengers in Tulum, Quintana Roo (to operate before the end of the year), said Carsten Spohr, general director and president of Lufthansa.
These flights are in addition to the 20 that it currently offers weekly, 10 from Frankfurt and Munich to the Benito Juárez airport in Mexico City and another 10 to Cancún, Quintana Roo. And this year, the Tulum operation will be added -in December-, for the use of the new Felipe Carrillo airport. In addition to including Yucatán, in the portfolio.
Accompanied by four executives of the Lufthansa Group from Europe, North America, and Mexico, the president of the German airline, Carsten Spohr, visited the country due to the relevance it has gained after the Covid-19 pandemic and the increase in air demand, and highlighted that Lufthansa will hold the traditional meeting of the Americas in Mexico for the first time in history, when it is regularly held in the United States.
In a meeting with some media outlets, Spohr maintained that among his expansion plans in Mexico, opening a passenger transfer flight from Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA) is not considered. “Passengers complain that they do not have a good connection to the center of Mexico City, and it is difficult for foreigners to go (by land) to Mexico City,” he established.
The German airline began its cargo business from the Felipe Ángeles airport in mid-2023, but the manager admitted that it has been “complicated” because it has led to higher costs for companies and a slow process with the customs system.
At the time, the executive director of the Lufthansa Group for Mexico and Central America, Alejandro Arias, reported that the investment commitment in Mexico is long-term, which is why the air frequency from Zurich to Mexico City is being prepared and once it is complete the business with the Italian airline ITA, it will also connect with the Benito Juárez airport, because the flow in both directions is important.
In an interview, he said that the airline has mobility of 1,000 passengers daily from Germany to the Benito Juárez airport, another 10 flights to Cancún and the flight to Tulum is close.
Spohr, who met with the German ambassador in Mexico, highlighted the relevance of Mexico as a key country for business growth. “This is the first time we are holding the meeting in Mexico, because of the importance we see in this market and we see that the market is developing a lot and there is a lot of potential…” he insisted. Also, the director of Lufthansa indicated that they are looking to acquire 280 aircraft, but given the increase in air demand, the world is facing a shortage of units and parts.
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