MEXICO CITY, July 8 (Reuters) - Mexican officials on

Tuesday outlined goals for even greater state and military

control over the nation's aviation network, including increased

subsidies and investments to boost long-neglected regional

airports.

President Claudia Sheinbaum has doubled down on the strategy

of her predecessor and mentor, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who

handed over control of many public airports to the military and

revived bankrupt airline Mexicana.

David Sandoval, deputy director of military-run airport

operator Grupo Mundo Maya, said both federal and state

governments are rolling out incentives on services ranging from

landing and parking fees to checked baggage. He cited the

recently opened Tulum international airport as a "cherry on top"

success.

The airport is already drawing traffic from the nearby

vacation hub Cancun, operated by ASUR, analysts have

said. Military-run airports also face lower usage tariffs than

their peers.

The military has been tasked with boosting traffic at older,

unprofitable regional airports.

Eric Mario Barrera, technical corporate director of

military-run Mexico City Airport Group, said they are battling

to overhaul infrastructure while seeking airline interest. He

noted airports like Guaymas in Sonora have been "a little bit of

a headache" due to low traffic and neglected facilities.

Lopez Obrador launched a massive expansion of Guaymas' port

before leaving office, aiming to turn the town into an export

hub.

Raul Revuelta, CEO of airport operator GAP, said

many regional airports fail to break even without subsidies,

needing about a million passengers annually to profit.

While officials insisted profit was a priority, they also

cited a social mandate to serve locations private operators and

airlines failed to reach.

Sheinbaum last week, at a ceremony to receive Mexicana's

first jet in an order of 20 from planemaker Embraer ( ERJ ), said the

airline was "by and for the people" and would "fly wherever you

are."

When relaunched in 2023, Mexicana was estimated to operate

in the red for nearly a decade, government forecasts showed.

The administration is also weighing more public-private

partnerships, following signs of success from a joint venture

with Mota Engil at airports in beach towns Tepic and

Puerto Escondido, said Carlos Merino, head of state-run Airports

and Auxiliary Services.