Mexican regional startup Aerus is eyeing new international service from a handful of cities in Mexico to the U.S. Starting operations in April 2023, the airline currently serves 10 domestic destinations with a fleet of three Cessna Grand Caravans.
Aerus — which goes by the legal name Aerotransportes Rafilher S.A. de C.V. — is privately owned. By 2025, the company has plans for up to 14 aircraft and 500 employees, including orders for 30 all-electric Eviation Alice airplanes.
The airline recently filed with the Department of Transportation (DOT) requesting approval to operate flights from Mexico to the U.S. In the filing, Aerus proposed the following routes: Monterrey to Brownsville, Corpus Christi, Laredo, and McAllen, along with Tampico to Brownsville and McAllen. As of now, the airline has only proposed flights to Texas.
As part of the network expansion, the carrier expects to operate between 1,100 and 1,200 round-trip flights annually to the United States. The airline says it plans to average eight passengers per flight.
Why Texas
In an interview with ch-aviation, Aerus CEO Javier Herrera García said the decision to serve the four Texas destinations is due to cultural and business ties. “[Aerus] will be carrying executives and tourists to the U.S. on business and pleasure, thereby fostering commerce between Mexico and the United States consistent with the objectives of the United States Mexico Canada Agreement…,” the airline said in its DOT filing.
If approved, Aerus will join Aeromexico, VivaAerobus and Volaris with scheduled service to the U.S. In September 2023, the U.S. upped Mexico’s air safety rating, paving the way for carriers to add additional flights and routes.
