Top Mexican Airline Restores Direct Caribbean Flights After 20 Years

Passengers flying out of Mexico en route to the Caribbean will soon have a direct flight option that has been absent from commercial schedules for over two decades.

The absence of a nonstop route persisted through a prolonged international aviation dispute, with U.S. federal regulators blocking an attempt to restart the service last year.

Following the removal of those restrictions, Aeroméxico announced it will launch nonstop flights connecting Mexico City with Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Operations begin next year with four weekly flights, restoring a route that has been dormant since 2000 and forcing travelers to book multi-stop layovers.

4-Weekly MEX-SJU Flights Anchor $13.5M Tourism Push in June 2027

Aeroméxico will introduce four weekly nonstop frequencies between Mexico City International Airport (MEX) and Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU) in San Juan beginning in June 2027.

Puerto Rico Governor Jenniffer González Colón and Puerto Rico Tourism Company executive director Willianette Robles Cancel announced the return of the route on November 7.

Ticket sales are scheduled to begin November 9, 2026, through Aeroméxico’s official booking website.

The Puerto Rico Tourism Company estimates that the connection will generate $13.5 million in annual economic activity and add more than 34,500 seats to the island’s air inventory.

González Colón said the government had worked to restore the connection, adding that Mexico represents opportunities for tourism, commercial exchange and investment. She said the route would strengthen ties between the two destinations.

Oct. 2026 US DOT Reversal Rescues Blocked 2025 Route Approvals

The new service follows a regulatory dispute that prevented Aeroméxico from launching the route in October 2025.

On October 28, 2025, the U.S. Department of Transportation disapproved 13 existing or planned routes involving Mexican airlines. Among them was Aeroméxico’s proposed Mexico City-San Juan service, which had been scheduled to begin that month.

The decision formed part of a wider dispute over Mexico’s treatment of U.S. airline airport slots and the relocation of American cargo operations. The DOT argued that Mexico had failed to comply with the countries’ 2015 air transport agreement.

The situation changed on October 16, 2026, when the Mexican government announced that the United States had lifted restrictions on Mexican airlines establishing new routes from Mexico City’s Benito Juárez and Felipe Ángeles airports. The decision followed bilateral negotiations and progress on aviation commitments.

Reuters reported on the lifting of the restrictions, which reopened the possibility of additional Mexican airline services to the United States.

Delta Alliance and 34,500 Seats Close 27-Year MEX-SJU Route Gap

The connection restores a direct link that has been absent from regular commercial operations by Mexican airlines since 2000. The now-defunct Interjet subsequently operated some charter flights, but these did not provide a regular scheduled alternative.

For Puerto Rico, Mexico City provides access to Aeroméxico’s domestic and international network. The new route is also intended to attract more Mexican visitors to an island whose tourism industry includes beach destinations, historic San Juan and a major Caribbean cruise port.

Aeroméxico senior vice president of global sales Giancarlo Mulinelli said the service would strengthen connectivity through the airline’s commercial alliance with Delta Air Lines, creating additional opportunities for connections between the two countries.

For American travelers, the route also offers another option to combine a visit to Mexico City with a vacation in Puerto Rico.

The Puerto Rico Tourism Company views the additional capacity as part of its effort to expand the island’s international air connections and diversify its visitor markets.

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This story was originally published by TravelHost on Nov 11, 2026, where it first appeared in the Airlines section. Add TravelHost as a Preferred Source by clicking here.