Aerus (airline)

Aerus
IATA ICAO Call sign
ZV RFD RAFILHER
Founded
  • 1990 (1990)
    (as Aerotransportes Rafilher)[1]
  • May 30, 2022 (2022-05-30)
    (as Aerus)
Commenced operationsApril 27, 2023 (2023-04-27)
HubsMonterrey
Focus citiesMexico City–AIFA
Fleet size8
Destinations17
Parent companyGrupo Herrera
HeadquartersMonterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico
Key peopleJavier Herrera García (CEO)[2]
Websiteflyaerus.com

Aerus, legally Aerotransportes Rafilher S.A. de C.V., is a Mexican regional carrier founded in 2022, and started operations in April 2023.[3][4] It is based in Monterrey International Airport.[5]

History

Aerus was founded in May 2022 by Grupo Herrera, following local government approval.[2] It was originally founded in 1990 in San Luis Potosí as Aerotransportes Rafilher, for air taxi services.[1][6] The airline is planned to launch in the first quarter of 2023, seeking to operate flights to destinations with no current air service.[7]

In January 2023, the airline ordered 30 all-electric Eviation Alice aircraft.[8] In February 2023, reports indicated that Aerus is planning to expand operations, aiming to have 14 aircraft and 500 employees by 2025. The airline is planning an investment of US$98 million as part of the expansion effort. The airline is also planning to recruit former employees of Aeromar, an airline that closed operations earlier in February 2025.[4]

In April 2025, Aerus entered into a codeshare agreement with Viva Aerobus, enabling increased connectivity and coordinated flight offerings between the two airlines.[9]

Destinations

The airline plans to operate both domestic and international flights in the Northeastern and Gulf of Mexico regions, using Textron Aviation-built Cessna aircraft.[2][10] It is intended to occupy routes previously served by Aeromar.[3]

Country City Airport Notes
Mexico Ciudad del Carmen Ciudad del Carmen International Airport [11]
Ciudad Victoria Ciudad Victoria International Airport
Mérida Mérida International Airport [12]
Minatitlán Minatitlán International Airport
Mexico City Felipe Ángeles International Airport
Monterrey Monterrey International Airport Hub
Morelia General Francisco Mujica International Airport Begins March 30, 2026[13]
Piedras Negras Piedras Negras International Airport
Saltillo Saltillo Airport
San Luis Potosi San Luis Potosí International Airport
Tampico Tampico International Airport [14]
Uruapan Uruapan International Airport Begins March 30, 2026[13]
Veracruz Veracruz International Airport
Villahermosa Villahermosa International Airport
United States (Texas) Brownsville Brownsville/South Padre Island International Airport
Laredo Laredo International Airport
McAllen McAllen Miller International Airport Begins March 27, 2026[15]

Fleet

Aircraft Total Orders Passengers Notes
Cessna 408 SkyCourier 2 19 [7]
Cessna Grand Caravan EX 8 9 [16][7]
Eviation Alice 30 9[10] Deliveries expected after 2030[8]
Total 8 32

References

  1. ^ a b "Aerus to start operations in San Luis Potosí". Mexico Now. Servicio Internacional de Informacion S.A de C.V. 9 June 2022. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  2. ^ a b c Sena, Gaston (3 June 2022). "A new airline is born in Mexico: Aerus". Aviacionline.com. Aviacionline.com. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  3. ^ a b Valadez, Roberto (23 March 2023). "It's official! New airline Aerus starts operations in April; goes through the Aeromar market". Milenio (in Spanish). Grupo Milenio. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
  4. ^ a b "New Mexican airline set to launch next month". Mexico News Daily. Tavana LLC. 24 February 2023. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
  5. ^ "Aerus Airline Profile". Centre for Aviation (CAPA). Informa PLC. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  6. ^ "Aerus, la nueva aerolínea mexicana que se perfila para volar en 2023". Expansion. EXPANSIÓN, S.A. DE C.V. 30 May 2022. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  7. ^ a b c "New Airline in Mexico Selects Cessna SkyCouriers and Cessna Grand Caravan EXs to Service Region". Aviation Pros. Endeavor Business Media, LLC. 21 December 2022. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  8. ^ a b Boyle, Alan (17 January 2023). "Mexico's Aerus airline signs up for 30 electric airplanes to be built by Eviation". GeekWire. GeekWire, LLC. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  9. ^ Villanueva, Oscar (April 2025). "Mexican airline works out kinks to start flying direct to Mexico out of CCIA in July". KIII-TV. Retrieved 5 May 2025.
  10. ^ a b "Aerus, nueva aerolínea mexicana que operará en Monterrey, adquirirá 30 aviones eléctricos". El Tiempo (in Spanish). Editorial Nuevo Almadén S.A. de C.V. 18 January 2023. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
  11. ^ "Aerus Adds Minatitlan – Ciudad del Carmen Service in Sep 2025". Aeroroutes. August 2025. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  12. ^ "Aerus will connect Villahermosa and Mérida with three weekly flights". Aviacionline (in Spanish). February 2026. Retrieved 18 February 2026.
  13. ^ a b "Michoacán strengthens its tourism agenda with Spartan 2026, the Uruapan Artisan Market, and a new air route". Secretaría de Turismo (in Spanish). March 2026. Retrieved 14 March 2026.
  14. ^ "Aerus airline takes off with new route from Tampico to Monterrey". Milenio (in Spanish). February 2026. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
  15. ^ "Aerus will begin operating the route between Monterrey (MTY) and McAllen (MFE) starting March 16". Facebook. Retrieved 25 February 2026.
  16. ^ Niles, Russ (21 December 2022). "Textron Sells SkyCourier Airliners To Mexican Startup". AVweb. Retrieved 22 December 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)