Mexico´s Aerolineas Mesoamericanas Signs Leases for Half a Dozen Bombardier Jets

Bombardier Aerospace announced that Aerolineas Mesoamericanas, “ALMA of Mexico”, has signed lease agreements for six previously owned 50-seat Bombardier CRJ200 regional jets with deliveries scheduled to commence in June 2006.

ALMA is the first Mexican airline to operate commercial Bombardier aircraft. Two aircraft will be leased from Canadian Regional Aircraft Finance Transaction No. 1 Limited (CRAFT) and four from General Electric Commercial Aviation Services (GECAS).

The leases were signed by Guillermo Heredia, President and Founder of ALMA, during a brief ceremony attended by representatives from Bombardier Aerospace.

ALMA of Mexico is a new start-up regional airline based in Guadalajara that will serve domestic point-to-point routes within Mexico with its newly acquired fleet of CRJ200 regional jets.

The airline will start operations with a fleet of eight aircraft in its first year and expects to grow to 35 units by its fifth year. ALMA of Mexico anticipates carrying more than half a million passengers in its first 12 months of service.