An aircraft from Mexicana de Aviación. Photo: Google

By KELIN DILLON

Eleven years after its closure, the Mexican federal government has announced its intentions to reopen Mexicana de Aviación for service as a passenger airline, with operations to be based out of the controversial and still-under-construction Santa Lucía airport.

Former Mexicana workers who have not yet been liquidated from their posts will be invited back to work with the rebooted company, with the airline estimated to have a fleet of 60 vessels within the next five years and around 1,200 employees.

The airline will be operated as a cooperative between employees and investors, with around 60 Mexicana employees already participating through meetings with the Secretariat of the Interior (SeGob) and the National Institute of Social Economy (Inaes).

Investors will contribute $155 million for 60 percent of the starting operation costs, while the rest will be backed by the federal government through loans.