Air Transport

Mexicana aims to start codesharing with British Airways and Iberia on intra-European flights as it prepares to formally join the oneworld alliance.

CEO Manuel Borja says Mexicana will most likely be unable to codeshare with BA or Iberia on its new transatlantic services for competitive reasons but is hoping the two European carriers can feed it in London and Madrid.

Mexicana earlier this month unveiled plans to launch service to London Gatwick in January and Madrid in February. Borja says Mexicana is interested in placing its code on BA-operated connecting flights at Gatwick and Iberia-operated connecting flights at Madrid. In exchange, Mexicana will feed BA and Iberia in Mexico City.

Mexicana is already a codeshare partner with Iberia on that carrier's Madrid-Mexico City service. But Borja reveals this codeshare may have to be dropped when Mexicana launches its own Madrid-Mexico City service in February.

BA also already operates to Mexico City from London Heathrow. Borja says Mexicana will "probably" not be allowed to codeshare with BA on the Mexico City-London route as no other carrier serves it.

Mexicana was accepted into the oneworld alliance in April. At the time oneworld said it would take 12 to 18 months for the Mexico City-based carrier to formally join.

Speaking last week at a press conference at the ALTA airline leaders forum in Cancun, Borja said Mexicana is now on pace complete the process in only 12 months and formally join in April.

In addition to Iberia, Mexicana already codeshares with three other oneworld members: American Airlines, Cathay Pacific and Royal Jordanian.