Mexican Startup Aerus Announces First Routes

The new Mexican airline Aerus has announced it will launch operations on April 27, operating five regional routes from its base at Monterrey International Airport (MTY). This new carrier will begin flying with a fleet of Cessna Grand Caravan EX turboprops, with more planes coming in the future, including the first all-electric aircraft bound for commercial service in Mexico.

Routes announced

Aerus will operate 450 monthly flights starting on April 27, the airline’s management announced yesterday. Based in Monterrey, Mexico’s most important city in the north, the new company will offer point-to-point flights mainly aimed at business travelers.

The startup announced the first five destinations it will serve. These are Ciudad Victoria (CVM), Matamoros (MAM), Piedras Negras (PDS), Tampico (TAM), and, obviously, Monterrey. Four routes will depart from Monterrey, but the airline will also operate a Tampico-Matamoros service. This is a map of Aerus’ new routes:

Photo: Aerus.

Due to the proximity of these cities, Aerus will offer many flights per week. According to a schedule released by the company, it will operate 99 weekly flights on routes that “were stopped being served decades ago.” By restarting flights in these cities, the airline looks to “allow economic, touristic, and cultural development in Mexico’s northeast.”

For a one-way, prices for the route Monterrey-Piedras Negras range from around 3,200 Mexican pesos (about $176). That’s double what it costs to travel via car between both cities. Nonetheless, the flight time is only one hour and 25 minutes versus six hours by car.

The only route that is currently being served by other airlines is Monterrey-Tampico. Viva Aerobus and Transportes Aéreos Regionales now fly this route offering ten weekly flights between both.

The fleet

Aerus will begin operations with a fleet of Cessna Grand Caravan EX. These turboprops have the capacity to carry nine passengers. Aerus’ fleet plan for the next few years is to have 14 planes, of which seven will be Grand Caravan EX, and seven will be Cessna SkyCourier, with a capacity for 19 passengers.

Photo: Aerus.

But that’s not all. Aerus and Eviation signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) for 30 Alice all-electric aircraft earlier this year. When received, they would be Mexico’s first all-electric commercial aviation planes.

The Alice is a nine-seater fully electric commuter aircraft. It is expected to offer a single-charge range of about 250 nautical miles initially. Alice is projected to enter service in 2027, and Aerus is looking to deploy its units on routes covering the north and east of Mexico.

Aerus is looking to become Mexico’s newest regional carrier. The company is looking to take the place of Aeromar, an airline that ceased operations in February.

Aerus is set to have an investment of about $98 million over the next three years. The company is starting with 100 employees, including many former Aeromar employees. Its business model is regional and focused on covering routes left by other carriers. In the near future, Aerus would also be interested in flying to the United States once Mexico regains its Category 1 status.

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