"Ontario, Calif., Airport Gains More International Service"

Monday, April 21, 2003

Ontario, Calif., Airport Gains More International Service
The Ontario (CA) Business Press


International air traffic through Ontario International Airport has more
than doubled since a second Mexican airline began service to Mexico City in
December.

Lineas Aereas Azteca in Mexico City hastily began daily operations at
Ontario Dec. 19 to capture a share of holiday traffic.

"Time was short. We had no time to plan an 'inaugural flight,' " said
Patricia Schwebel, Azteca vice president of sales for the United States,
based in Mission Viejo.

Azteca chose Ontario as an alternative to "saturated" Los Angeles
International Airport and offers a nonstop alternative to the established
but indirect flights operated by AeroMexico, Schwebel said.

Azteca carried 800 departing passengers in the closing days of December on
its daily 4 p.m. nonstop flights to the Mexican capital, compared with 2,197
passengers on AeroMexico, which currently operates red-eye flights five days
a week from Ontario to Guadalajara, continuing to Mexico City. AeroMexico
has served Ontario since December 2000.

Ontario airport reported a 64 percent growth in international passengers in
December 2002 over December 2001.

hat growth ballooned to 165 percent month-to-month for January and 125
percent in February when both airlines carried about 2,300 passengers each.
International travel is about 1 percent of total passenger traffic at
Ontario.

"We really appreciate the service, and we're glad [Azteca] is doing well,"
Ontario airport spokesman Dennis Watson said.

Azteca sales exceeded projections, Schwebel said. Response to the service
"has been very good, considering the flight is brand new, and with the
economy and the war."

The airline did not disclose figures.

Founded in 2000, Azteca in February reported $20 million in revenue for
2002. Azteca flies new 136-seat Boeing 737-700 aircraft in service to Mexico
City, Cancun, Guadalajara, Tijuana, Morelia, Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua,
Uruapan, Dallas, El Paso and Laredo, Texas; as well as Ontario. 

The competition has AeroMexico's "eyes wide open," airline spokeswoman Mayte
Weitzman said.

AeroMexico announced March 31 it will begin nonstop service July 7 from
Ontario International to Los Cabos International Airport in Baja California.

Los Cabos International Airport serves the southern Baja resort cities of
Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo.

The Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday service will depart Ontario at 12:45
p.m. and arrive at 4:05 p.m.

The flight will continue to Mexico City, airline spokesman Walter Demirci
said.


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