Mexico’s army-run airline takes to the skies, with first flight to the resort of Tulum

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico has launched its army-run airline, with the first Mexicana airlines flight taking off from Mexico City bound for the Caribbean resort of Tulum. It was another sign of the outsized role that President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has given to Mexico’s armed forces. The airline’s military-run holding company now also operates a dozen airports, hotels, trains, the country’s customs service and parks. Mexico’s defense secretary said Tuesday that having all those diverse businesses run by the military was “common in developed countries.” But in fact, only Cuba, Sri Lanka, Argentina and Colombia have small military-run airlines that operate a handful of planes mainly on under-served or remote domestic routes.