Aeroméxico to fly out of Stockton 

By Melanie Turner / The Modesto Bee

STOCKTON -- Mexican airline Aeroméxico aims to offer nonstop passenger flights between Stockton and Guadalajara, México, as early as March.

"We have interest on the route, but we don't have definite plans yet," said Juan García, Aeroméxico's marketing director based at the company's U.S. headquarters in Houston.

García said the market shows potential.

Aeroméxico filed an application with the U.S. Department of Transportation last Monday to offer nonstop service between Guadalajara and Stockton Metropolitan Airport, and Guadalajara and Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.

In each case, Aeroméxico proposes to provide service at least four days a week.

Stockton Metro Airport Director Barry Rondinella said the airport is in negotiations with a Mexican airline, but he would not confirm which one.

"But we're expecting a signed letter of agreement from an airline within a week or so," he said.

The letter would outline terms and conditions of the arrangement, he said. It would include an agreement by the airport to build a federal inspection station to house U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

"We're trying to work this as fast as we can," Rondinella said. "The airline has asked us to set an ambitious goal of June to start service."

Aeroméxico's application before the U.S. Department of Transportation indicates that the airline plans to start service between Stockton and Guadalajara as early as March 6.

There are at least a couple of factors that could make meeting that deadline difficult, Rondinella said. The airport does not have control over how quickly the federal government could staff the Customs and Border Protection facility, he said.

Customs and Border Protection is the division of the Department of Homeland Security charged with screening passengers upon entry to the United States.

Roxanne Hercules, a spokeswoman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, said staffing the facility likely would not take as long as it would take to build it and get all the necessary security approvals.

"I'm not too sure if that would happen by June," she said, adding that there is nothing in the works for establishing Stockton as an international airport.

Rondinella also said he would need approval from the San Joaquín County Board of Supervisors for the project. He plans to approach the board within the next month or so, he said.

The board has shown some interest. In August, supervisors unanimously approved the transfer of $100,000 from an airport contingency fund to an airport enterprise fund to do architectural design work for the Customs and Border Protection facility.