Aeromexico is adding three brand-new US cities to its map, all nonstop from Mexico City and all starting in January 2027. Fort Lauderdale gets first dibs on January 14, Orange County's John Wayne Airport follows on January 11, and Portland rounds things out on January 21. Every route runs daily on a Boeing 737 MAX 8 with 166 seats.

For Delta flyers, this is where it gets interesting. The two airlines run a joint venture that lets them coordinate schedules and fares across the US–Mexico market, and Delta SkyMiles members earn and redeem miles on Aeromexico flights just like Delta's own. So a new nonstop from Portland or Orange County to Mexico City effectively functions as a Delta route — handy for anyone in those cities who wants an easy hop to Mexico's capital or onward connections through its main hub.

There's also a competitive angle worth knowing: according to Cirium schedule data, no airline currently flies nonstop between Mexico City and any of these three cities. Aeromexico will have each route entirely to itself. The airport choices aren't random either — Portland was Delta's main Asia gateway until the 2000s and still holds a loyal Delta base, while Fort Lauderdale is Delta's biggest network-carrier operation after JetBlue.

The timing isn't accidental. Mexican carriers are racing to launch new US service ahead of a possible downgrade of Mexico's aviation safety rating to Category 2, which could come as early as February 2027. That rating reflects the country's aviation regulator, not the safety of individual airlines — but a downgrade would bar Mexican carriers from adding any new US routes. Mexico was in Category 2 from 2021 to 2023, and US airlines would be unaffected either way.

This all plays out against a longer US–Mexico air dispute dating to 2022, when the government cut slots at Mexico City's main airport after opening the secondary Felipe Ángeles airport. The US DOT moved to dissolve the Delta–Aeromexico joint venture in 2024, but a court kept it alive in August, and the restrictions on Mexican airlines adding US flights from Mexico City were lifted in October. The runway is now clear — hence the January land grab, with discount rival Volaris also adding Boston, Nashville, Raleigh-Durham and Washington Dulles since August.

For travellers, the practical takeaway is simple: if you're in Portland, Orange County or Fort Lauderdale and have ever wanted a one-stop-free trip to Mexico City — or smoother onward connections through Aeromexico's hub — January 2027 is when that option appears, bookable with Delta miles if that's your currency.