Since he was a child, Cuitláhuac Gutiérrez grew up watching airplanes take off as if they were promises. On each flight, he saw the echoes of his father’s work at Aeroméxico and the beginning of a story that, although fraught with turbulence, would lead him to pilot one of the most important organizations in the Mexican aviation industry: the National Chamber of Air Transport (Canaero) . “I grew up with Aeroméxico and the industry,” he recalls with a mix of nostalgia and determination. “I studied Aviation Electronics and Communications as my first professional degree, and at that time, Aerovías de México was the breeding ground for training technicians and professionals.”
His destiny seemed clear, but the path became complicated. He failed to secure a position as a technician, and, between disappointment and curiosity, he changed course to International Relations. “In my disappointment with the airline industry, I said: now I’ll become a diplomat,” he confesses. But fate insisted on keeping him in the air: upon completing his studies, Mexicana de Aviación opened its doors to him in the Market Research department in 1998. It was the beginning of a journey that would transform his life.
For 12 years, Mexicana was his school and platform. There he learned the complexity of a sector that combines engineering, economics, diplomacy, and strategy. In 2010, he returned to the place where it all began: Aeroméxico. “ I left Mexicana without knowing what was going to happen and came to Aeroméxico because it’s where my father had worked . I had to redefine the alliance strategy, which at the time was Delta limited to a codeshare,” he says. His work helped lay the foundation for a relationship that years later would give rise to a historic cross-border alliance.
Aviation, like life, doesn’t fly in a straight line. A downgrade in air safety by the United States put the country in jeopardy, but also opened a new opportunity for him: the vice presidency of Operations at SkyTeam , a global airline alliance comprising Aeroméxico, Delta, Air France , and Korean Air . ” We accepted the challenge and my family and I left . I was in charge of network development, generating greater connectivity, more codeshares, and seeking out new products,” he recalls. His time at SkyTeam consolidated his global vision and his skill at negotiating in the skies of air diplomacy.
In 2016, his career took him to a different, but equally strategic, arena: representing the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in Mexico . “It was a challenging job, a school where you learn everything: commercial, operational, safety, environmental, and infrastructure issues,” he says. From that position, he experienced the cancellation of the Texcoco airport, the change of government, and the political storm that engulfed aviation. “We were there at the moment when aviation was at the center of the storm,” he says with a mixture of caution and pride.
And just when it seemed the skies couldn’t get any more uncertain, the COVID-19 pandemic hit. At IATA, and in close coordination with Canaero, Gutiérrez was one of the voices pushing to keep the country’s air borders open, a decision that allowed the country to regain connectivity faster than other nations. “At IATA, we sat down to figure out how to help. In the end, I took over the operation of the chamber without employees, and the position of general director of Canaero and IATA Country Manager. In the face of all the airlines,” he recalls.
Those months marked a turning point. He oversaw the redesign of the airspace, the industry’s adaptation to the new Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA), and collaborated with the Ministry of National Defense (Defensa) on the operational planning of the airport system. “We adapted the industry to its new reality,” he says .
In 2022, he returned once again to Aeroméxico, this time as Senior Vice President of Government and Industry Affairs. “If I’m coming back, it means I’ve done something right,” he says calmly. His third stint at the airline confirmed his place in an industry where permanence depends as much on technique as on poise.
At the beginning of 2025, Cuitláhuac Gutiérrez took over as Canaero’s leader with a clear mission: to rebuild the sector’s representativeness and prepare the industry for its upcoming expansion. “It was time to push Canaero further,” he says. Under his leadership, Viva Aerobus , TAR , and Aerus returned , and only Volaris remains to complete the fleet. “We hope Volaris will be back soon and we can finally include all the national airlines,” he emphasized.
His vision goes beyond the short term. He speaks of a solid dialogue with the government, infrastructure that responds to future demand, and an efficient transportation system that connects AIFA, Mexico City International Airport (AICM), and regional airports. He also speaks of digitalization, sustainability, and competitiveness . “A competitive position combining adequate infrastructure for current and future demand, with competitive current costs and charges, will lay the foundation for the airline industry and address growth,” he concludes.
For him, flying isn’t just a metaphor for success: it’s a way of life. Because every career climb, every turbulence overcome, and every controlled landing confirm that his destiny was always in the skies.
According to data from the Federal Civil Aviation Agency (AFAC) , 82,370,855 passengers were transported between January and August 2025, representing a 2.6% increase compared to the same period in 2024.
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