Romano leads Mexican wave

A keynote presentation by Mexicana boss Emilio Romano will be one of the highlights of Network 2006, the route planning event for the Americas. Hosted by Airline Business, Network will bring together over 200 airline and airport delegates in San Antonio in early March (visit www.networkusa.info for more information).
Mexican aviation is a hot topic at the moment. As Airline Business special correspondent David Knibb reports in the upcoming February issue of the magazine: "Mexican aviation has awakened from a deep sleep. Its two major airlines are being privatised and a swarm of startups aim to exploit Latin America's largest emerging market. In no other country in the world has commercial aviation changed so much so fast."
Romano has a remarkable story to tell. His airline has just been privatised, it has announcing new routes to the USA and China and Mexicana has launched a low-cost subsidiary called Click.
Click is just one of six low-cost startups planned for the Mexican market. Three, including Click, are already flying, with the others launching this year. Several are flying from Toluca, 25 miles northwest of Mexico City, putting this airport on the map.
As in other markets that have witnessed a burst of low-cost activity, consolidation will no doubt be on the cards at some point. But, for now at least, the start-up phase is making for a dynamic air transport environment.
For further background on Cintra's sell-off of Mexicana and Aeromexico read the Airline Business cover interview last April with the president of its governing council Andres Conesa.