CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The City of Corpus Christi announced the launch of a new nonstop air service from the Corpus Christi International Airport to Monterrey, Mexico on Monday morning. Interested flyers can expect to take flight starting Sept. 12.
The Aerus Airlines-operated flights will be the first nonstop international services offered at CCIA since 1967. The recently established Mexican regional airline began scheduled passenger operations in April of 2023.
The airport will offer four weekly flights between Monterrey International Airport and CCIA on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
"The nonstop flight to Monterrey is something we’ve been talking to this airline for over a year," CCIA Director Kevin Smith said. "We know for a fact that there’s over ten people a day flying to Monterrey currently that live in Corpus Christi, but, they're driving to Houston Intercontinental to catch the nonstops out of there."
And even more folks are making the six-hour drive to Monterrey, according to Smith.
While Aerus is starting with a nine-passenger plane it is looking at a 30-seat plane to go in spots with the highest demand.
"We’re hoping to really fill up the first year of flights and hopefully we’ll get some upgraded seat capacity," Smith said.
Mayor Paulette Guajardo believes these international flights will continue to help grow relations between the two areas.
"Our state exported over $100 billion in export goods to Mexico in the last decade and in the same last decade Mexico brought over 5,000 jobs to Texas via different projects it had here, so this relationship, this connection between our two states is critical, it is a huge stride forward," Guajardo said.
Travel time from Corpus Christi to Monterrey is approximately one hour and fifty minutes, with a slight time difference during daylight saving time, which is not observed in Mexico.
Corpus Christi departure times will vary by day: Tuesdays and Thursdays at 2:10 p.m., Saturdays at 3:40 p.m., and Sundays at 11:35 a.m.