This is one in an ongoing series of articles on Winglets that will summarize past airlines and other operators of CRJ aircraft that are no longer in existence.
ALMA de Mexico – Aerolíneas Mesoamericanas, S.A. de C.V.
- IATA Code: C4
- ICAO Code: MSO
- Callsign: ALMA
- Low Cost Mexican Airline
- Operated 2006- 2008
- Number of CRJs Operated: 19 CRJ-200, 1 CRJ-200 not delivered when operations ceased.
- Order for 2 CRJ-900 NextGens cancelled before delivery
ALMA de México was a low cost Mexican airline that operated from June 12, 2006 until its closure on November 7, 2008. The airline operated a fleet of CRJ-200ER and 200LR aircraft exclusively with plans to operate a total fleet of 30 of the type. The airline also placed an order for two CRJ-900 NextGen aircraft, but these were never delivered. The airline’s hub was at Don Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla International Airport in Guadalajara, Mexico operating domestic flights. By the end of 2007, ALMA a fleet of 18 CRJ aircraft and had announced plans to expand to 30 aircraft within the coming year, including two new CRJ900 aircraft on order directly from Bombardier. The airline also codeshared with Mexicana Airlines on some routes in 2007. The airline soon faced economic difficulties and on November 7, 2008, ALMA announced on its website that it was ceasing all operations. The announcement cited the global economic crisis, the increase in fuel prices and the devaluation of the Mexican peso. All CRJs were returned to their owners and the airline closed.
Airports Served By CRJs
The following list is all of the airports served by ALMA.
- AGU – Aguascalientes
- TIJ – Tijuana (Focus City)
- LAP – La Paz
- CPE – Campeche
- TGZ – Tuxtla Gutierrez
- CUU – Chihuahua
- CJS – Ciudad Juárez
- TRC – Torreón
- BJX – León
- TLC – Toluca
- GDL – Guadalajara (Hub)
- PVR – Puerto Vallarta
- MLM – Morelia
- MTY – Monterrey
- OAX – Oaxaca
- PBC- Puebla
- QRO – Querétaro
- CUN – Cancún
- CTM – Chetumal
- LMM – Los Mochis
- MZT – Mazatlán
- VSA – Villahermosa
- CVM – Ciudad Victoria
- REX – Reynosa
- TAM – Tampico
- PAZ – Poza Rica
- VER – Veracruz
- MID – Mérida
CRJ Fleet
ALMA operated a total of nineteen Canadair Regional Jets in its fleet, all being CRJ-200LR or 200ER series aircraft. One additional aircraft was in the process of being transferred to the airline from China Express but was cancelled when the airline stopped operations. As the airline suffered losses, CRJs left the fleet at various intervals leaving 12 CRJs operating at the time of ALMA’s closure. All aircraft were leased and previously with other airlines. When the airline ceased operations, the fleet was scattered to various lessors including Bombardier, GECAS and Wells Fargo. Avmax also retrieved their CRJs and some other aircraft were leased on to Jetlink Air:
MSN 7379 XA-UIE (To C-FYLF) CRJ-200ER
MSN 7467 XA-UGS (To C-FYKZ) CRJ-200ER
MSN 7470 XA-UGU (To C-FYKX) CRJ-200ER
MSN 7652 XA-PPG (To N679SA) CRJ-200ER
MSN 7653 XA-DLP (To N681SA) CRJ-200ER
MSN 7662 XA-ECD (To N682SA) CRJ-200ER
MSN 7690 XA-UIN (To C-FYKT) CRJ-200ER
MSN 7704 XA-UIO (To C-FYJV) CRJ-200ER
MSN 7739 XA-GHC (To N677SA) CRJ-200ER
MSN 7004 XA-UHM (To C-FYFS) CRJ-200LR
MSN 7006 XA-UHB (To 5Y-JLB) CRJ-200LR
MSN 7016 XA-UIE (To 5Y-JLE) CRJ-200LR
MSN 7025 XA-UHF (To C-FZQN) CRJ-200LR
MSN 7113 XA-JPM (To C-FZGN) CRJ-200LR
MSN 7144 XA-UFX (ToN7143) CRJ-200ER
MSN 7164 XA-UFD (ToN7164) CRJ-200ER
MSN 7299 XA-UHU (To N299BS) CRJ-200LR
MSN 7329 XA-UHN (To N329BS) CRJ-200LR
MSN 7363 XA-UID (To C-FYKN) CRJ-200ER
The following aircraft was to be leased, but this was not completed:
MSN 7565 XA-??? (Ex: B-3001) CRJ-200ER
Before the airline ceased operations, ALMA held orders for two CRJ-900s which were never delivered. It also intended to have a full fleet of at least 30 CRJ-200s before it shut down.
Canadair Regional Jet RJ200ER MSN 7470 XA-UGU
In Service with ALMA de México
(Photo By: Augusto Gomez Rojas)
Before ALMA ceased operations, the airline had placed an order for two new CRJ-900 NextGens for delivery in late 2008. As part of that announcement, an artist’s concept of a CRJ-900 in ALMA colours was released by Bombardier. No deliveries of any CRJ-900s to ALMA ever occurred.
Artist’s Conception Artwork of a CRJ-900 NextGen in ALMA de México colours
