Now it's official. Direct flights may soon start operating between Ben-Gurion Airport and both Cancun and Mexico City. Transport Minister Miri Regev visited Mexico last week, where she met with her Mexican counterpart, Jorge Nuño Lara, and with the Mexican Deputy Minister of Transport Rogelio Jimenez Pons, who is responsible for aviation in Mexico. They agreed to return the direct flights between the two countries, including to the popular tourist destination Cancun.
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El Al is the only Israeli company that can operate a direct line from Israel to Mexico. In response to the signing of the agreement, E Al stated that "this is an agreement between countries that has the ability to open new avenues and routes for El Al as well. The company will examine the commercial and operational implications of operating a direct flight from Israel to Mexico, and accordingly formulate its decision on the matter."
Today, Israelis who want to fly from Israel to Mexico, usually to the exotic coastal town of Cancun, are forced to do so on a long flight that lasts around 17 hours and is always accompanied by a stopover, either in New York on the east coast of the US or in another city in Europe. The direct flights, if there are any, will shorten Israelis' stay in the air from 13 hours (to Cancun) to 15 hours to Mexico City.
This step, if it actually happens, should please not only Israeli tourists, but also many soccer fans, since it comes two and a half years before the opening of the 2026 World Cup, which will be hosted by Mexico along with the United States and Canada. The games played in Mexico in the upcoming World Cup will be held at the Azteca Stadium in the capital city as well as in the stadium in the city of Guadalajara, in the west of the country.
"The direct flights from Israel to Mexico will save passengers many hours and a lot of money," Regev said Thursday morning. "Until now, the flights between the countries have only been possible with a stopover in Europe, the US or Canada; very soon the direct flights will start and they will be shortened by many hours."
Regev added that the flights "will be an additional contribution to the Israeli economy, to connecting Israel to the world and lowering flight costs. During the visit, I met with the Jewish communities and celebrated Sukkot together with them, and strengthened the relationship we have with the Jewish communities in the Diaspora. I met a strong, believing and Zionist Jewish community in Mexico which stands behind the State of Israel."
The agreement on the direct flights, which was first reported last week on Ynet , was only one part of Regev's trip to Mexico. The minister visited both airports - the new international airport in Mexico City, "Felipa Angeles" (AIFA), and the international airport in Cancun. Regev also met with the Minister of Transportation of Mexico City Andres Lajo, and toured the Metrobus station in Mexico City, which carries about two million passengers a day.
In their meetings, the ministers discussed common transportation challenges such as handling congestion, smart transportation and traffic accidents, and also agreed on the establishment of joint work teams to promote cooperation on these issues.
The Mexican transportation minister and his deputy received an official invitation from the Regev to take part in an international transportation conference and the use of AI which will be held in Israel in November.
Regev met with the president of Mexico's Jewish community, visited two of the main synagogues of the Jewish communities in Mexico, and on the eve of Sukkot attended community prayer services and attended kiddush in the sukkah.
Also, the minister met with the two candidates for the presidency of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo and Xochitl Gálvez; they discussed the relations between Mexico and Israel and future collaborations.