Interjet
Interjet, also known as Interjet Airlines, is a Mexican low-cost carrier headquartered in Mexico City, and Mexico's third largest airline after Aeroméxico 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.
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 former President of Mexico Miguel Alemán Valdés, who amassed a fortune while in office from 1946 to 1952.
In 2014, 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.
On April 30, 2020, IATA announced the partial suspension of Interjet.
Company slogans
- 2008-2010: Como siempre debiste de haber viajado
- 2010-2012: Vuela más y mejor por menos
- 2012-2014: Volando en tu misma dirección
- 2014-2019: Como tú quieres viajar, Fly your way
History
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 three 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 using biofuel, on the Mexico City – Tuxtla Gutierrez route, with an Airbus A320-200, registration XA-ECO.
In 2012 the airline committed to purchase the Sukhoi Superjet 100, which sold for about a half of a comparable Bombardier Aerospace or Embraer aircraft.
Interjet CEO Jose Luis Garza said it was the best choice for hot and high Mexico City, a bold bet on Russia's first major airplane since the Soviet Union collapsed.
On March 2, 2015, Interjet firmed ten SSJ100 options valued at $350 million.
In mid-January 2018, Bloomberg reported that 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; a Russian magazine reported that one grounded SSJ100 was going to be back in service by January 19, and the remaining three by March.
In September 2018, Interjet was reported to be considering replacing its SSJ100s with Airbus A320neos, to make better use of its slots, with the SSJ technical problems possibly also a factor. This would have left CityJet as the only remaining Western customer. On September 12, Interjet denied the report.
Interjet claims its capital cost for ten Superjets is equivalent to the pre-delivery payment for one Airbus A320. The pre-delivery payment amounts to 15-30 percent of an aircraft list price. An A320 list price was $88.3M in 2012.
Destinations
Interjet flies between locations in Mexico, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, El Salvador, 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.Interjet also operates several charter flights throughout the Americas, mainly in the Caribbean.
International
On July 1, 2011, Interjet began flights to its first international 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 Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla 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 Montréal–Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport from Mexico City and Cancún with Airbus A320 aircraft. On July 28, 2017, service was launched to Toronto Pearson International Airport from Mexico City and Cancún, and on October 26, 2017, Vancouver International Airport became the third Canadian Interjet destination with service from both Mexico City and Cancún.
On March 14, 2018, Interjet began service to San Francisco International Airport from Cancún and Guadalajara.
On December 15, 2018, Interjet began service to Monseñor Óscar Arnulfo Romero International Airport in San Salvador from Mexico City.
On June 5, 2019, Interjet began service to José María Córdova International Airport in Medellín, Colombia from Mexico City and Cancún.
On October 1, 2019, Interjet began service to José Joaquín de Olmedo International Airport in Guayaquil, Ecuador from Mexico City and Cancún.
On October 28, 2019, Interjet began service to Mariscal Sucre International Airport in Quito, Ecuador from Mexico City.
On November 22, 2019, Interjet began service to Rafael Núñez International Airport in Cartagena, Colombia from Mexico City.
On March 24, 2020, Interjet announced it would suspend all international flights due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The airline also temporarily reduced the salaries of its workers by 50% to further cut down its debt. A substantial percentage of their fleet has also been repossessed and grounded as of April 3, 2020.
Codeshare agreements
Interjet has codeshare agreements with the following airlines:- Air Canada
- Alitalia
- American Airlines
- All Nippon Airways
- British Airways
- Emirates
- EVA Air
- Hahn Air
- Hainan Airlines
- Iberia
- Japan Airlines
- LATAM Brasil
- LATAM Chile
- Lufthansa
- Qatar Airways
Fleet
Current Fleet
Historic fleet
- Airbus A320neo
- Airbus A321-200
Frequent-flyer program