bajajudy - 8-12-2006 at 06:43 AM
Airline returns to the air
Aerocalifornia?s flight ban lifted after authorities saw safety improvement
Wire services
El Universal
August 12, 2006
Aerocalifornia on Friday resumed flying after authorities lifted an April decree grounding the airline for safety reasons.
In a news release, the airline said a fully booked flight took off early Friday from its base in the western city of La Paz, stopped in Los Mochis and
continued on to Guadalajara.
The director of the airline, Carlos del R?o, told the government news agency Notimex that the company hoped to recover the routes it dominated before
the suspension.
Transportation Secretariat officials suspended the airline?s operations on April 2 after a two-week review revealed that the airline was cannibalizing
parts from decommissioned planes, among other safety concerns.
A subsequent review found the problems had been corrected on five planes, but that work needed to be done before the rest of Aerocalifornia?s fleet
could be allowed to fly, the secretariat said.
The secretariat issued a statement that aviation authorities were closely watching the airline "to ensure that the carrier meets all established
safety measures."
Before its grounding, Aerocalifornia had offered flights to 22 Mexican cities and Los Angeles.
It maintained it never violated safety standards and President Vicente Fox asked aviation officials to expedite their review process so Aerocalifornia
could resume service soon.
Aerocalifornia is one of several low-cost airlines to emerge in recent years, offering passengers cheaper alternatives to the country?s dominant
Aerom?xico and Mexicana carriers.
tim40 - 8-12-2006 at 11:09 AM
I will still fly them if they every get back to LA. With them missing, it makes it very difficult to make it to LaPaz.