Mexicana de Aviación has confirmed it will begin selling tickets on January 24th as it works toward its re-launch.

The Mexican flag-carrier suspended operations in August 2009 under the pressure of mounting debts.

Mexicana will initially employ six aircraft on eight routes: Cancún, Chicago, Guadalajara, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and San Antonio, Texas.

If successful Mexican authorities hope the airline will have 28 planes in the air by April.

However, success if far from guaranteed, with rival carriers – including American Airlines - having stepped into replace the ailing airline.

Mexicana has initially hoped to re-launch in December, however a number of potential investors baulked.

PC Capital secured a deal with the unions in December, paving the way for the latest developments.

Some 350 pilots, as well as cabin crew, ground staff and administrators, will now begin training immediately to revalidate their credentials.

At its height Mexicana carried 22,000 passengers on 220 flights a day before cancelling all their services on August 28th, 2010

However, following the re-launch the airline will be substantially smaller.

In this initial phase, Mexicana will employ about a quarter of the 8,000 people who were employed at the start of 2010.