Mexicana de Aviación (commonly known by the shorter name Mexicana) is Mexico's second largest airline company, after Aeroméxico, and the world's third oldest airline still using its original name, after Holland's KLM and Colombia's Avianca. The airline uses the IATA designator MX. Mexicana logo, claiming fair use This work is copyrighted. ... A Boeing 747-400 of Virgin Atlantic Airways, one of the UKs largest airlines. ... Aeromexico Boeing 737 Aeroméxico (IATA: AM, ICAO: AMX, and Callsign: Aeromexico), is one of Mexicos two major airline companies. ... The Netherlands (Dutch: Nederland) is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (Dutch: Koninkrijk der Nederlanden). ... KLM (in full: Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij, literally Royal Aviation Company; usual English: Royal Dutch Airlines) is a subsidiary of Air France-KLM. Before its (agreed) take-over by Air France, KLM was the national airline of the Netherlands. ... Avianca Airlines (IATA: AV, ICAO: AVA, and Callsign: Avianca) is an airline based in Colombia. ... The International Air Transport Association is an international trade organization of airlines headquarted in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. ...

History

XA-MEX, a Mexicana DC-10 at Benito Juárez International Airport, 1985, with Aeroméxico DC-9 on background. Courtesy of, and copyrighted by, Mr. Jorge Rocafort

Mexicana was founded July 12, 1921, under the name Compañía Mexicana de Transportación Aérea, (CMTA) as a money carrier to oil fields near the city of Tampico, on the Gulf of Mexico. Mexicana's first plane was a Lincoln standard, a two-seat biplane. While the pilot maneuvered over the oil fields, the passenger in the back seat dropped a heavy bag containing the weekly payment for the oilers. uploading on behalf of AntonioMartin - he has permission from copyright holder he says This image is copyrighted, and used with permission. ... uploading on behalf of AntonioMartin - he has permission from copyright holder he says This image is copyrighted, and used with permission. ... July 12 is the 193rd day (194th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 172 days remaining. ... 1921 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... El Puente Tampico (finished in October 1988) links the states of Tamaulipas and Veracruz and is a major element in the Gulf of Mexico highway system. ... The Gulf of Mexico is a major body of water bordered and nearly landlocked by North America. ... A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two main wings of similar spans, normally one mounted above, and the other level with, the underside of the fuselage. ...

The 1920s were groundbreaking times for the airline, with air mail service being established and services like aerial photography being undertaken. In 1929, Pan Am took over the majority of the airline's stock, and the airline opened its first international route, with service to the United States. Mexicana used the historic Ford Tri-Motor plane for the route flown from Mexico City to Brownsville, Texas, USA, with stops at Tuxpan and Tampico. Mexicana's first pilot was none other than the legendary Charles Lindbergh himself. Sometimes referred to as the Roaring Twenties or the Jazz Age. ... Airmail (or air mail) is mail that is transported by aircraft. ... Aerial photography is the taking of photographs from above with a camera mounted on an aircraft, balloon, rocket, kite or similar vehicle. ... 1929 was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Pan American World Airways (Pan Am) was the United States principal international airline from the 1930s until its collapse in 1991, and was credited with many innovations that shaped the international airline industry. ... The Ford Motor Company (often referred to simply as Ford; sometimes nicknamed Fords or FoMoCo, (NYSE: F) is an automobile maker founded by Henry Ford in Detroit, Michigan, and incorporated on June 16, 1903. ... Mexico City (Spanish: Ciudad de México) is the federal capital of, and largest city in, Mexico. ... Brownsville is a city located in Cameron County, Texas, United States. ... Tuxpan or Tuxpam (pronounced TOOKSpahn or in archaic native form, TOOSHpahn) is a name shared by different cities in Mexico. ... El Puente Tampico (finished in October 1988) links the states of Tamaulipas and Veracruz and is a major element in the Gulf of Mexico highway system. ... Charles Lindbergh with the Spirit of St. ...

The 1930s saw route expansion and service improvement. Mexicana opened a route from Brownsville to Guatemala City, stopping over at Veracruz, Minatitlán, Iztepec and Tapachula. In addition, flights were started to El Salvador, Costa Rica and Cuba, and the association with Pan Am gave them access to Nicaragua and Panama too, through Pan Am's Miami base. (Pan Am had undertaken flights from Mexico City to Miami.) Mexicana also became then the first foreign airline ever to fly to Los Angeles. Events and trends Technology Jet engine invented First atom was split with a particle accelerator Golden Age of radio begins in U.S. Disney adopts a three-color Technicolor process for cartoons First Kit Kat in UK The photocopier is invented by Carlson Air mail service across the Atlantic Science... National Palace National Post Office Building Guatemala City (in full, La Nueva Guatemala de la Asunción; locally known as Guatemala or, informally, Guate) is the capital and largest city of Guatemala. ... Veracruz is the name of both a state in Mexico and that states largest city. ... Minatitlán is a city in the state of Veracruz, Mexico. ... Tapachula is a city in the state of Chiapas, Mexico. ... The Miami skyline, as it is seen from the northeast. ... Griffith Observatory and the Downtown Los Angeles skyline. ...

The fleet also saw growth during that decade, eight Fairchild FC2s and 3 Fokker F10s being added. For other uses, see Fairchild (disambiguation). ... Fokker 100 of British Midland Airways Fokker was a Dutch aircraft manufacturer named after its founder, Anthony Fokker. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ...

The 1940s were more of a domestic growth period, although a service was established from Mexico City to Havana. Routes were opened for the first time to Monterrey, Nuevo Laredo, and Mérida, as well as a night flight to Los Angeles. The Mérida flights were also flown at night. Mexicana initially used DC-2s for these flights but, as time went by, DC-3s were acquired and, later, DC-4s. The DC-3s became known as El Palacio Aéreo. (The Air Palace). The DC-4 allowed Mexicana to fly non-stop from Mexico City to Los Angeles for the first time. Mexicana was also able to create a certified pilots school in Mexico City. Centuries: 19th century - 20th century - 21st century Decades: 1890s 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s - 1940s - 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s Years: 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 Events and trends Technology First nuclear bomb First cruise missile, the V1 flying bomb and the first ballistic missile, the... Havana (Spanish: San Cristóbal de La Habana) is the capital of Cuba and, with a population of 2. ... This article is about the Mexican city; for other uses, see Monterrey (disambiguation). ... Nuevo Laredo is a city in the state of Tamaulipas, Mexico. ... Cathedral on the Plaza Mayor, the oldest in North America (according to [1]. Mérida is the capital city of the state of Yucatán, Mexico. ... Griffith Observatory and the Downtown Los Angeles skyline. ... The Douglas DC-2 was a 14-seat, twin-propeller airliner produced by the Douglas Aircraft Corporation starting in 1934. ... Douglas DC-3 VH-AES at Avalon in 2003. ... The designation DC-4 was used by Douglas Aircraft Company when developing the DC-4E as a large, four-engined type to complement its forthcoming DC-3 design. ...

The 1950s saw the airline's growth slow a little, but DC-6s were welcomed to the fleet, and a flight attendant school was opened. The DC-6s were put to work on the Mexico City to Puerto Vallarta and Mexico City to Oaxaca routes. Millennia: 1st millennium - 2nd millennium - 3rd millennium Events and trends Technology United States tests the first fusion bomb. ... The Douglas DC-6 is an aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company from 1946 to 1959. ... Sunset on Los Muertos beach in Zona Romantica Our Lady of Guadalupe church, with some flowers from El Nido in the foreground. ... Calle Tinoco y Palacios, with the church of San Felipe Neri Basílica de la Soledad Calle Morelos The city of Oaxaca, Oaxaca (formally: Oaxaca de Juárez, in honour of 19th_century president and national hero Benito Juárez, who was born nearby) is the capital and main city of the Mexican state...

In the 1960s, four De Havilland Comets were bought and flown over from London and Mexicana entered the jet age on July 4, 1960. Since Mexicana was still part of Pan American, these Comets were intended to replace Boeing 707s should this type not fulfill the expectations of Pan American's owner, Juan Trippe. Competition grew stiff, however, and by the late 1960s Mexicana was almost forced into bankruptcy. In 1967 however, Mexicana received its first Boeing 727, and along with a new administration and strategic plans, the airline was able to recover from its economic problems soon after. Events and trends The 1960s was a turbulent decade of change around the world. ... de Havilland UK In 1920 Geoffrey de Havilland changed the name of his company Airco, where he had previously been chief designer, to the De Havilland Aircraft Company. ... This article deals with the de Havilland Comet jet airliner. ... London is the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England. ... July 4 is the 185th day of the year (186th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 180 days remaining. ... 1960 was a leap year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... Pan Am 707 The Boeing 707 is a four engined commercial passenger jet aircraft developed by Boeing in the early 1950s. ... Juan Terry Trippe (June 27, 1899 - April 3, 1981) was an airline entrepreneur and pioneer. ... Bankruptcy is a legally declared inability or impairment of ability of an individual or organization to pay their creditors. ... 1967 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Sun Country 727 The Boeing 727 was, for a very long time, the most popular jet-liner in the world. ...

In 1968, the stock owned by Pan Am was entirely bought over and Mexicana became once again a 100-percent Mexican company. 1968 was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ...

1969 was a tragic year for Mexicana, for it lost two 727s in air crashes. 1969 was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1969 calendar). ...

In 1971, Mexicana started flights to Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, a route it would maintain for more than 25 years without interruption, and to Denver, Colorado. The jet fleet kept expanding and eventually they had 19 jets, the largest jet fleet in Latin America at the time. They also started a flight simulator service with a 727 simulator at their hub in Benito Juárez International Airport. The Denver route stopped over at Mazatlán. By this time Mexicana had the largest fleet of 727s outside the USA. 1971 is a common year starting on Friday (click for link to calendar). ... Executive Air dba American Eagle ATR-72 and American Airlines aircraft at Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in April 2001 Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (18° 26′ 22″ N 66° 00′ 07″ W), in Carolina, Puerto Rico, is the islands main international gateway, and its main connection to the... San Juan, the Spanish for Saint John, is a common toponym in parts of the world where Spanish is or was spoken: Argentina San Juan Province San Juan, Argentina, the capital of that province Cuba San Juan Hill Mexico San Juan, Campeche San Juan, Chihuahua San Juan, Coahuila San Juan... Colorado State Capitol Building Denver is the largest city and capital of the state of Colorado, United States of America. ... Latin America consists of the countries of South America and some of North America (including Central America and some the islands of the Caribbean) whose inhabitants mostly speak Romance languages, although Native American languages are also spoken. ... Interior Cockpit of a modern Flight Simulator A flight simulator is a system that tries to replicate, or simulate, the experience of flying an airplane as closely and realistically as possible. ... Benito Juárez International Airport (IATA airport code: MEX) serves Mexico City, Mexico. ... Statue of deer, Mazatlán waterfront Mazatlán is a city in the Mexican state of Sinaloa; the surrounding municipality, for which the city serves as the municipal seat, is also called Mazatlán. ...

The 1980s for Mexicana were almost inactive, however, a few events touched the company: In 1981, 3 DC-10-15s were received and began making their way through the airline's Caribbean routes. In 1982, the Mexican government acquired 54 percent of the airline. In 1984, a huge building with Mexicana's central offices resembling a control tower 30 stories high and a heliport was unveiled south of Mexico City. In March 1986, tragedy struck, as a Mexicana Boeing 727 en route to Puerto Vallarta suddenly caught fire and crashed onto the mountains of western Mexico, killing every passenger and crew member on the flight. This is the most recent accident involving a Mexicana aircraft. Events and trends The 1980s marked an abrupt shift towards more conservative lifestyles after the momentous cultural revolutions which took place in the 1960s and 1970s and the definition of the AIDS virus in 1981. ... 1981 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Caribbean or the West Indies is a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea. ... 1982 is a number and represents a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar Events January January 6 - William Bonin is convicted of being the freeway killer. January 8 - AT&T agrees to divest itself of twenty-two subdivisions January 11 - Mark Thatcher, son of the British Prime... 1984 is a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1986 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Sunset on Los Muertos beach in Zona Romantica Our Lady of Guadalupe church, with some flowers from El Nido in the foreground. ...

For Mexicana, the 1990s kept bringing changes. In 1991 French Airbus A320s came to the airline, as well as Fokker 100s in 1992. In 1993 AeroMéxico took over. Cintra was later formed in 1997 when the Boeing 757s came into service. Mexicana launched a website (www.mexicana.com), and formed an alliance with United Airlines. It also had the honor of transporting Pope John Paul II when he flew from Mexico City to St. Louis, Missouri, and formed alliances with Air Canada, Varig and Air New Zealand. These alliances led to the formation of Star Alliance, which began in 1997, and Mexicana joined in 2000. Mexicana left this alliance in 2004. It also began a program to assist families of people involved in air disasters. Events and trends Technology The World Wide Web was born at CERN Explosive growth of the Internet; decrease in the cost of computers and other technology Reduction in size and cost of mobile phones leads to a massive surge in their popularity Year 2000 problem (commonly known as Y2K) Microsoft... Airbus S.A.S. is a commercial aircraft manufacturer based in Toulouse, France. ... The Airbus A320 is a short to medium range commercial passenger aircraft manufactured by Airbus. ... Fokker 100 of British Midland Airways Fokker was a Dutch aircraft manufacturer named after its founder, Anthony Fokker. ... The Boeing 757 is a medium-range transcontinental commercial passenger airplane manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. ... United Airlines Boeing 777 taking off at Schiphol, Amsterdam. ... The Pope is the Catholic Bishop and patriarch of Rome, and head of the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Catholic Churches. ... His Holiness Pope John Paul II (Latin: ), born Karol Józef Wojtyła [1] (May 18, 1920 – April 2, 2005), reigned as Pope of the Roman Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City for almost 27 years, from 16 October 1978 until his death. ... The Gateway Arch, shown here behind the Old Courthouse, is the most recognizable part of the St. ... Missouri, named after the Missouri Siouan Indian tribe meaning canoe, is a Midwestern state of the United States with Jefferson City as its capital. ... Air Canada (TSX: ACE.RV) is Canadas flag air carrier, headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. ... Varig (Varig Brazilian Airlines) also known as Viação Aérea RIo-Grandense SA, is Brazils leading international airline, followed by TAM. Varig uses the IATA designator RG. The airline flies the Boeing 737, Boeing 757, Boeing 767, Boeing 777 and MD-11. ... Air New Zealand is a major scheduled passenger airline based in New Zealand. ... Launched on May 14, 1997, the Star Alliance was the first, and remains the largest airline alliance in the world. ... 1997 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2000 is a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Mexicana would later obtain a certificate to perform maintenance jobs on the new European planes on their fleet. World map showing location of Europe A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is geologically and geographically a peninsula, forming the westernmost part of Eurasia. ...

On April 28, 2003, a Mexicana de Aviación Airbus jet was forced to land at San Francisco International Airport after the pilot accidentally set off the airplane's anti-terrorism alarm. April 28 is the 118th day of the year (119th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 247 days remaining. ... 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... FAA diagram of SFO SFO redirects here. ...

2004 was an important year for Mexicana since it marked the return of wide body jets to its fleet. The airline acquired one Boeing 767-300ER from SAS. The airplane (XA-MXB "Buenos Aires") flies non-stop to Los Angeles and Buenos Aires. Scandinavian Airlines System, now SAS AB, is an airline based in Stockholm, Sweden. ... This article is about the largest city in California. ... Buenos Aires (Good Air in Spanish, originally meaning Fair Winds) is the capital of Argentina and its largest city and port, as well as one of the largest cities in South America. ...

On March 1, 2005, a Mexicana A319 that was about to take off from Benito Juárez International Airport had to do a 180 degree turn after a passenger jumped off a Lufthansa Boeing 747, to avoid hitting the passenger. An Aeroméxico Boeing 757 also suffered damage in the incident, and the Mexicana and Lufthansa airplanes had to wait three hours to go on to their respective destinations. [1] (http://www.airliners.net/discussions/general_aviation/read.main/1981999/|1) March 1 is the 60th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (61st in leap years). ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar and is the current year. ... The Airbus A320 is a short to medium range commercial passenger aircraft manufactured by Airbus. ... Lufthansa Boeing 737-300 Lufthansa Airbus A300-B4 Lufthansa Avro RJ85 Lufthansa (Deutsche Lufthansa AG) is the largest German airline company, headquartered in Cologne. ... The Boeing 747, which is also known as the jumbo jet, is the second largest passenger airliner after the Airbus A380. ... The Boeing 757 is a medium-range transcontinental commercial passenger airplane manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. ...

Livery

Mexicana's livery used to consist of an all white fuselage, with the word Mexicana written in italics under the passenger windows, near the plane's cockpit. The tail colors are dark blue Aztec pattern on medium green background and the Mexicana eagle head logo in white. In order to cut down costs, Mexicana has introduced a new livery which consists of the old fuselage colors, but with a new tail design. The tail is now dark blue with the companies logo outlined in white. The engine cowlings are also painted dark blue and feature the companies website.

Destinations

see Mexicana Destinations. This is the list of cities that Mexicana flies to: Mexico Acapulco Cancún (Cancún International Airport) Ciudad del Carmen Cozumel Durango Guadalajara (hub) Hermosillo Huatulco León Manzanillo Mazatlán Mérida Mexicali Mexico City (Juan Alvarez International Airport, hub) Minatitlán Monterrey Morelia Nuevo Laredo Oaxaca Puerto...

Fleet

• 2 Saab 340 (Aerocaribe)
• 10 Fokker F100
• 10 Airbus A318-100
• 17 Airbus A319-100 + 3 orders
• 27 Airbus A320-200 + 5 orders
• 9 Boeing 757-200
• 1 Boeing 767-300ER

Saab 340 of Aurigny Air Services. ... Aerocaribe is an airline based in Mexico. ... Fokker F100 of British Midland The Fokker F100 is a small twin-engine regional jet airliner and feederliner from the Fokker company. ... The Airbus A320 is a short to medium range commercial passenger aircraft manufactured by Airbus. ... The Airbus A320 is a short to medium range commercial passenger aircraft manufactured by Airbus. ... The Airbus A320 is a short to medium range commercial passenger aircraft manufactured by Airbus. ... The Boeing 757 is a medium-range transcontinental commercial passenger airplane manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. ... The Boeing 767 is a commercial passenger airplane manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. ...

Other facts of interest

• Mexicana was featured prominently on the 2001 Hollywood production The Mexican.
• Mexicana employed Puerto Rican actress Margot Deben to advertise the airline on Puerto Rican television. Deben said that she goes to Mexico on Mexicana to shop and shop (more).
• Mexicana was the main sponsor of soccer team Chivas de Guadalajara for a period, and their planes were showcased on the team's uniforms. Conversely, some of Mexicana's airplanes were painted in the team's colors.

2001 is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Hollywood (disambiguation) Greetings from Hollywood Hollywood is a district of the City of Los Angeles, California, U.S.A., that runs from about Vermont Avenue on the east to just beyond Laurel Canyon Boulevard above Sunset and Crescent Heights Boulevards on the west; the north to... The Mexican is a 2001 movie by director Gore Verbinski starring Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts, with a plot that is a somewhat unusual mixture between romantic comedy and road movie. ... The striker (wearing red jersey) has run past the defender (in white jersey) and is about to take a shot at the goal, while the goalkeeper positions himself to stop the ball. ... Club Deportivo Guadalajara, also known as Guadalajara and usually referred to by its nickname Chivas, is a Mexican professional football club. ...

External links

• Official site (http://www.mexicana.com/)
• Mexicana crashes (http://www.airdisaster.com/cgi_bin/airline_detail.cgi?airline=Mexicana+Airlines)