MFE is the busiest airline airport in the Rio Grande Valley. The airport is also served by two of the three global alliances, Star Alliance and Oneworld. MFE lost its only international flight in September 2007 – a daily Continental Express flight to Mexico City although Mexican air carrier Aeromar currently operates nonstop service from the airport to the capital of Mexico. After less than one year it was announced that MFE would lose its only non-stop flight to Los Angeles (LAX), operated by Delta Connection partner ExpressJet Airlines, at the end of 2007; however, Allegiant Air currently flies a seasonal nonstop McAllen to LAX with several flights a week. In December 2007 it was announced that Delta Connection would pull out of McAllen on January 6, 2008, ending its two flights a day from MFE to Atlanta, operated by Delta Connection partner Atlantic Southeast Airlines. In March 2009 Delta, through its wholly owned subsidiary Northwest Airlines, began flying MFE to Memphis on Northwest Airlink partner Pinnacle Airlines. Northwest Airlines had previously flown MFE to its Memphis hub starting in 2004. Following the completion of the merger of Northwest into Delta in 2010, the Memphis hub was eventually shut down although Delta continues to serve MEM.