Thanks to a heartfelt request from the Mexican and Latino community, and after years of negotiation, the first nonstop flight from the City of Brotherly Love to Mexico City became a reality on June 6.
The Consulate of Mexico, along with executives from the city’s International Airport, Aeromexico, Delta, municipal government officials, and other partners, participated in the ribbon-cutting ceremony at Gate A11.
Atif Saeed, CEO of Philadelphia International Airport, first thanked Mariachi Pedro Villaseñor “for their phenomenal musical performance,” and the collaborators for making the event festive and memorable.
“It’s not every day that we celebrate a new international flight; today is a historic day,” he stated enthusiastically.
On June 6, the Consulate accompanied a delegation of business representatives and community leaders on the inaugural flight.
“This visit will continue to foster ties and connections that will ensure the success of this service in the future,” he affirmed.
Revenue from these flights is estimated to reach 30 million dollars annually.
He noted that the timing of these nonstop flights to the Mexican capital is ideal, since “Philadelphia will host major events this year and in 2026.”
As is well known, Mexico City is a co-host of the FIFA World Cup and will host the first match of the tournament in 2026.
Ivan Vukov, Aeromexico’s Director of Sales in the U.S., emphasized, “We are very proud of our airline’s excellent nonstop service, proud of our country, and proud of Mexico City. We look forward to serving you daily with the high-quality service we provide.”
Aeromexico has been a Delta partner for nearly 8 years. “Through this collaboration, we have transported over 50 million passengers between the U.S. and Mexico, offering the largest flight network between both countries,” he highlighted.
The executive acknowledged that the community had long been requesting these flights. “And we had been internally advocating for them as well, and finally, the nonstop flights are here.”
He added that “with our U.S. expansion including 5 new routes by the end of July, and more than 30 new routes over the past year and a half, we’re approaching nearly 100 daily flights between the United States and Mexico.”
Aeromexico and Delta form the largest airline alliance flying between Mexico and the U.S., “and we anticipate that Philadelphia will be one of the ‘crown jewels’ of that network.”
Mexican Consul General Carlos G. Obrador Garrido Cuesta emphasized, “This is a great opportunity to strengthen the relationship between two great North American cities—Philadelphia and Mexico City—and we hope more Mexicans will visit Philadelphia.”
He stressed the importance of frequent travel to ensure that the direct flights are maintained for many years to come.
Previously, travelers to Mexico City had to make at least one stop, making the trip considerably longer.
The airport celebration was enlivened with mariachi music, and travelers enjoyed a traditional Mexican breakfast along with free Mexican candies and airline promotional items.
Key partners in restoring the nonstop flights included the Convention & Visitors Bureau, Philadelphia Representative Office, Economic Development Office, Greater Philadelphia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, World Affairs Council, and United States-Mexico Chamber of Commerce, among others.