Mexicana struggles to survive

The airline, which was downgraded by U.S. regulators because of safety concerns, says its financial situation is critical, and it could file for bankruptcy. As it is, Mexicana proposes to lay off 500 attendants, reduce salaries by as much as 50 percent, and eliminate most non- economic benefits. Yesterday, the airline canceled two flights from Montreal and Calgary to Mexico City when a creditor raised questions about the carrier's debts. Mexicana's presence at LAX is relatively small - it carried about 400,000 passengers into and out of the airport during the first five months of the year, which give it about a 2 percent market share.