AeroMexico History: From a Stinson in 1934 to a Dreamliner Fleet – Airline Employee Shop

AeroMexico History

AeroMexico began in 1934 with one small Stinson flying between Mexico City and Acapulco, and grew into Mexico's flag carrier and a founding member of SkyTeam. Here's a short history of Aeroméxico, plus the AeroMexico collection that celebrates it.

Aeronaves de México (1934–1959)

Antonio Díaz Lombardo founded Aeronaves de México on September 14, 1934. Its first route linked Mexico City and Acapulco, flown by pilot Julio Zinser in a Stinson SR Reliant. In 1941 Pan Am bought a 25 percent stake, and the shares returned to Mexican hands in 1957.

A state airline (1959–1988)

The Mexican government nationalised the airline in 1959. In February 1972 it dropped the old name and became Aeroméxico. By the late 1980s the state carrier was in deep trouble. In April 1988 it was declared bankrupt and grounded for about three months.

Rebirth and alliances (1988–2019)

The airline was privatised and restarted in late 1988 as Aerovías de México, still flying under the Aeroméxico brand. In the mid-1990s it shared a holding company, Cintra, with Mexicana. On June 22, 2000, Aeroméxico joined Delta, Air France and Korean Air to found the SkyTeam alliance. Ties with Delta deepened over the years, and a joint venture on U.S.–Mexico flights began in 2017.

Restructuring and a new look (2020–today)

The pandemic pushed Aeroméxico into a U.S. Chapter 11 filing on June 30, 2020. It kept flying throughout and completed its restructuring in March 2022. Today it flies Boeing 737s and 787 Dreamliners from its main hub at Mexico City International Airport, with secondary hubs in Guadalajara and Monterrey. For its 90th anniversary in 2024 it unveiled a refreshed livery, first painted on an Embraer 190.

A few things collectors love

  • The Caballero Águila, or Eagle Knight, emblem. The 2024 redesign gave the warrior's helmet the shape of an aircraft fuselage, and Aeroméxico says the emblem dates back to 1959.
  • The very first aircraft was a single Stinson Reliant registered XB-AJI.
  • Aeroméxico is one of the four airlines that founded SkyTeam in 2000.

Shop AeroMexico

Browse AeroMexico logo T-shirts, coffee mugs, coasters, tote bags and vintage designs in the AeroMexico collection. Add an airline bag tag or key tag to round out a gift for anyone who has flown, worked for or simply loves Mexico's flag carrier.

AirlineEmployeeShop.com is an independent retailer of airline memorabilia. This page is for historical interest and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Aeroméxico.