Aeromar executives reportedly fled to Europe and US amid crisis

Almost a week after the company Aeromar announced the permanent cessation of its activities due to financial problems, the Aviation Pilots Union Association (BLADE) denounced that the owners and senior managers of the company had left Mexico to take refuge in the United States and in certain European countries.

Jose Humberto Gual Angelessecretary general of ASPA, is the one who shared that various commanders of Aeromar had fled the country before the outbreak of the crisis, as reported Millennium.

Zvi Katz connoisseur, owner of Aeromar who inherited the company in 2016 after the death of his father, reportedly moved to Europe when debt problems mounted. “He was already living in Milan, Italy, and knew he was going to move to Spain,” it was said in the aforementioned media.

ASPA spokesman José Alonso Torres identified Zvi Katz as the responsible for the decline of Aeromara company that was established in 1987 and began operating at Toluca International Airport.

“When the airline started having more problems than normal, that’s when the owner moved to Europe and left all the business work,” Gual Ángeles said.

On the other hand, Aeromar’s director of operations, James Portnoy (the nephew of Zvi Katz), reportedly traveled to New York, USA, after receiving notices from the authorities demanding that the company’s debts be settled. Portnoy’s job in the face of the crisis, as the ASPA general secretary mentioned, was to represent the family before the labor unions, since the owners were no longer in Mexico.

respect to Danilo Correawho worked as general manager of the airline, Humberto Gual acknowledged that we don’t know where he isalthough in the previous weeks it had been possible to establish contact with him.

In fact, according to reports, Correa was responsible for informing workers of the ultimatum at Mexico City International Airport (AICM) and the company Aeropuertos y Servicios Auxiliares (LIKE A) for the payment of debts.

Recall that it was on February 15, 2023 that Aeromar announced, through a press release, the definitive cessation of its activities. The financial problems that led the airline to this situation were:

– Default of payment 522 million pesos to the AICM For rent.

– Debt of 122 million of pesos to workers for concepts of wages, benefits and more.

– flow of 74 million pesos for fuel of the ASA.

– Three thousand 500 million taxes which had not been covered before the Tax Administration Service.

In total, the debt that forced Aeromar to cease its activities was four thousand 218 million pesos.

The day after the announcement of the interruption of its activities, a strike broke out by the workers of the AICM, accompanied by union delegates.

Humberto Gual declared on this date that “regularly, the cessation of operations is a consequence of strikes. The airline stopped yesterday (February 15), the government stopped it yesterday (…) Everyone banned its services because of the huge debt it had”.

Likewise, the secretary of ASPA announced the request of the Preservation of company assetswith the aim of recovering part of the existing debt from its personnel.

Due to Aeromar’s financial difficulties, the Labor and Social Welfare Secretariats (STPS) and Infrastructure, communications and transport (SICT) has entered into dialogues with unions and other airlines to integrate Aeromar employees into said companiesso that they can continue their work.