The Embraer E2 fleet of Mexicana is to receive predictive maintenance: the state-owned airline signed a long-term agreement with Embraer to implement the AHEAD platform (Aircraft Health Analysis and Diagnosis), the Brazilian manufacturer reported this Thursday (12) from São José dos Campos.
AHEAD monitors in real time the auxiliary power unit (APU), the fuel system, the pneumatic system, the hydraulic system, avionics, engines, navigation, air conditioning and flight controls. The tool processes in-flight and on-ground data with predictive algorithms to detect potential faults before they become critical events. Embraer claims this reduces unscheduled groundings, improves fleet availability and lowers maintenance costs, as well as the CO₂ emissions caused by the extra fuel burn associated with technical problems.
Mexicana currently operates ten aircraft: five Embraer E195-E2 and five Embraer E190-E2. The tenth, registered XA-MXK, landed on 26 September at Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA), the company’s base. The order, announced in June 2024, is for 20 E2s (ten of each model), and the first delivery took place in late June 2025. In October the airline said it expects to close 2026 with 12 aircraft and reach 20 by the end of 2027. The E2s are gradually replacing the Boeing 737-800s provided by the Mexican Air Force for the company’s relaunch in December 2023.
With the fleet growing, the network is expanding as well: on 17 November Mexicana will begin flying between AIFA and Zacatecas. So far in 2026 the company has carried 31% more passengers than in the same period of 2025.
Mexicana’s general director, General Leobardo Ávila Bojórquez, said the platform “represents the next step; by using the data each aircraft generates, we can anticipate maintenance needs and schedule them in time”.
For Carlos Naufel, president and CEO of Embraer Services & Support, the agreement comes “at a time when the airline continues to expand its operations with the E2 family”, and AHEAD drives “a more predictive, data-driven maintenance approach that helps increase fleet availability, reduce operational disruptions and optimise efficiency”.
With this contract, Mexicana joins Virgin Australia, which in February signed an AHEAD agreement for the E190-E2s operated by its subsidiary Virgin Australia Regional Airlines from Perth.
