Mexico’s army is going to be handed its own passenger airline. The “Aerolínea del Estado Mexicano” was formed as a company last week, with Mexican president Andrés Manuel López Obrador saying flights will start operating by the end of the year. It’s unusual for a country’s military to operate a commercial airline – and increases the army’s growing economic clout in Mexico. Since López Obrador took power in 2018, his administration has widened the role of the armed forces, which are now involved in everything from border administration including migration control, building a tourist railway and operating airports. López Obrador once campaigned on returning the military to barracks. He’s now handing it more power than any recent predecessor.
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