By JUAN DE JESÚS BREENE

Well, it is up and running. That is, the Mexicana de Aviación airline page for reserving a ticket.

Mexicana Airlines, once a popular carrier that filed for bankruptcy in 2010, is now back in action, at least in cyberspace, purchased for pennies on the dime by the Mexican federal government at the behest of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO).

Expected to commence operations in December, the resurrected airline will be run by the Mexican Army (Sedena).

A few days ago, it listed a few destinations that could not be reserved, and like many government projects, was a work-in-progress.

However, as of today, you can now reserve tickets to 21 cities across Mexico.

It is worth noting that some locations, such as Querétaro and Durango, under the control of opposition parties, are missing from the list. The new and controversial Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA), though, is included, while the bustling Benito Juárez Mexico City International Airport (AICM) is conspicuously absent.

As things stand, all Mexicana Airlines operations are centered at the Felipe Ángeles airport, which is yet to witness any substantial traffic. Consequently, travelers will have to connect at AIFA to reach their final destinations.

Capitol cities like Veracruz and Nayarit are not currently featured on the website, but there is hope that they will be added in due course. Additionally, the newly built Tulum Airport, scheduled to be inaugurated in December, but is not on on list. Inaugurated and operational seem to mean two different things to our current elected officials.

Notably, the current list of destinations does not cover any international flights. Given that Mexicana is essentially a new entity on paper, securing the necessary approvals from other countries may prove challenging. It remains to be seen whether the airline can navigate through these hurdles successfully.

One encouraging aspect for potential travelers is the competitive pricing offered by Mexicana. In comparison to Viva Aerobús and Volaris, Mexico’s two ultra low-cost carriers, the prices on Mexicana are somewhat cheaper. While both Viva and Volaris offer direct flights that bypass Mexico City, Mexicana forces travel to Mexico City, but to the airport most travelers prefer not to use.

As developments unfold, it will be intriguing to see how Mexicana takes shape. Until then, prospective passengers will need to stay tuned or keep clicking on the site to see how things develop.