Aeromarβs inaugural flight from Hermosillo to Tucson was nearly an hour late Monday, but supporters didnβt seem to mind.
After all, theyβve waited and worked for eight years to get nonstop flights to Mexico to return to Tucson International Airport.
With a traditional firehose welcome from TIAβs firefighting vehicles, Aeromar Airlines Flight 106 pulled up to the ramp with a nearly full passenger load around 1 p.m., after experiencing delays in customs processing in Mexico.
Fresh off the plane, Aeromar CEO AndrΓ©s Fabre thanked TIA and officials on both sides of the border during a gate ceremony with a mariachi band, margaritas and tapas.
While Aeromar initially is flying to Tucson Sundays, Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays, Fabre said he expects that to grow.
βWe expect that frequency will increase to almost daily very soon,β Fabre said.
And Fabre gave fans of the new flights more reason to celebrate: A promotional, $149 round-trip air fare from Tucson to Hermosillo.
The fare β which represents a discount of nearly 50 percent off the lowest regular fares β is available through Oct. 14 for travel through Dec. 12.
βWeβre doing this as a big gesture, to get things started on the right foot,β Fabre said.
Tucson Airport Authority CEO Bonnie Allin said the flights were the result of years of effort by backers which, besides the airport and Aeromar, included Pima County, the city of Tucson, the Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Tucson Metro Chamber, Visit Tucson, Mexican provincial officials and business leaders on both sides of the border.
The secretary of tourism for Sonora, Mexico, said he was amazed by the response so far, particularly since Aeromar has yet to launch a major marketing effort.
Antonio Berumen said he hopes Tucsonans will now consider a beach vacation to San Carlos, rather than perhaps Cabo San Lucas or Puerto PeΓ±asco, to support the new flights.
βIt depends on all the people here in Tucson and all the people in Sonora to buy the tickets,β he said. βIt will be easier to go to Sonora, easier to do business in Sonora β¦ this will be a good business for Aeromar.β
One of the passengers on Aeromarβs first Tucson departure said he was pleasantly surprised to find the flight on Expedia.
βI had no idea this was the first flight for Aeromar,β said David Mayorquin, who was flying on to Mazatlan to do some business for his seafood company.
Not only was his airfare relatively inexpensive, but Mayorquin said heβs pleased to avoid having to travel through congested Mexico City International Airport.
βIβm very happy about it,β said Mayorquin, who has in the past driven or flown to Phoenix to fly to Mexico for his frequent business trips south of the border.
Based in Mexico City, Aeromar was founded in 1987 as an executive airline and is flying the 48-seat ATR 42 turboprop on the Tucson flights. From Hermosillo, Sonora, the flights go on to Los Mochis and MazatlΓ‘n, Sinaloa; then to Guadalajara, Jalisco, returning on the same route.
Aeromar has so-called codeshare agreements with United Airlines and Aeromexico, allowing the airlines to share flights on the same routes.
