Mexicana to introduce London to Mexico City flights

Mexican airline Mexicana has announced that it is to launch a direct scheduled service between London Gatwick and Mexico City.

The flights will operate from London on Thursdays and Sundays from 18th January, with additional flights being added on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 18th February. Initially flights will depart Gatwick at 1030 hrs, arriving Mexico City at 1735 hrs. Flights from Mexico City will depart at 1430 hrs, arriving Gatwick at 0725 hrs the following morning.

The flights will be operated by a Boeing 767-200 seating 156 passengers: 40 in Clase Ejecutiva business class, and 116 in economy class.

The new route will be Mexicana's first transatlantic service, as well as its first to Europe. The airline had identified demand on both sides of the Atlantic for a wider choice of flights between the two destinations, and has introduced the services as part of its expansion strategy.

The timing of the new flights will also make possible convenient connections to many of Mexicana's destinations within Mexico, including Cancun, Guadalajara, Monterrey, and Puerto Vallarta, as well as destinations in Central and South America such as Guatemala City and Buenos Aires.

Mexicana is set to join the Oneworld airline alliance in 2009.

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