VivaAerobús

VivaAerobus
IATA ICAO Callsign
VB VIV VIVA/Aeroenlaces
Founded 2006
AOC # V8OF230F[1]
Operating bases
Fleet size 28
Destinations 41
Company slogan
  • All you need to fly (English)
  • Lo que necesitas para volar (Spanish)
Parent company Inversionistas en Autotransportes Mexicanos S.A. de C.V.
Headquarters Insurgentes Norte 42, Mexico City, Mexico
Key people Roberto Alcántara (Chairman)
Juan Carlos Zuazua (CEO)
Robert Zoller (COO)
Manuel Ambriz (CCO)
Alan Bird (CFO)
Website vivaaerobus.com

Aeroenlaces Nacionales, S.A. de C.V., trading as VivaAerobus, is a Mexican low-cost airline fully owned by the largest bus company group in Mexico, IAMSA.

History

VivaAerobus started operations on November 30, 2006 with its hub at Monterrey International Airport (MTY), in Monterrey, Mexico. The airline initially connected Monterrey to a number of Mexican domestic locations and, in July 2007, publicly confirmed its intention to open its first base outside of Mexico and first US destination in Austin, Texas (although it ultimately pulled out of Austin in 2009[2]).

VivaAerobus was co-owned by the Ryan family (founders of Irish airline Ryanair) and the Mexican bus company IAMSA. The Ryans joined with Alexander Maurice Mason of Kite Investments to establish "RyanMex" to facilitate the Irish family's investment in the Mexican airline. RyanMex used to hold 49 percent of shares in the airline, while IAMSA had the remaining majority stake. As of December 8, 2016 IAMSA holds 100% of the company[3]. The airline commenced operations with an initial investment of $50 million and two Boeing 737-300 aircraft.

VivaAerobus fares were intended to undercut traditional Mexican carriers by up to 50 percent, in a change of the industry that started with the arrival of the country's second generation of low-cost airlines (Avolar, Click Mexicana, Interjet, Volaris) and the privatization of Mexicana, one of the two top national airlines. On November 5, 2007 the airline received approval from the US Department of Transportation to operate to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, initially serving the Mexican destinations of Cancún, Monterrey, Guadalajara and León. Flights to the South Terminal Austin began on May 1, 2008.

On May 16, 2009, Viva Aerobus stated it would cease passenger operations at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport on May 31, 2009. The airline blamed the pullout in part on an outbreak of swine flu, which caused an unprecedented decrease in demand for service.[4] The company began to fly between Monterrey and Las Vegas in the summer of 2009.

In November 2009, the airline announced it had applied to commence operations between Hermosillo and Las Vegas beginning in March 2010.

In April 2010, the airline finally began serving Mexico's capital with two flights, one from Monterrey and the other from Guadalajara. It also started serving Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport. However, the airline planned to serve Houston Hobby Airport on completion of that airport's new terminal in 2015.[5]

In 2010, the airline opened a focus city at Mexico City International Airport on October 1 after Mexicana ceased operations. VivaAerobus switched Mexico City from focus city into a hub on April 1, 2011, beginning more destinations from the airport.

On July 26, 2011, the airline got approval to fly to Chicago-Midway International Airport.[6] On August 15 the same year VivaAerobus announced it would begin round-trip service between San Antonio (SAT) and Monterrey (MTY), Mexico starting that November.[7] On April 13, 2012 the airline ceased flights to Chicago Midway.

On May 15, 2014, VivaAerobus received and started using Airbus A320s. It continued using Boeing 737s until the end of 2016, when it began operating an all Airbus fleet.[8][9]

In October 2014, VivaAerobus began nonstop flights from Ciudad Juárez (Chihuahua State) to Mexico City, León, and Hermosillo. In 2015, the airline launched flights to Dallas-Fort Worth from several Mexican cities.[10] The service was terminated in October 2015.[11]

On December 17, 2017, VivaAerobus began non-stop service to Los Angeles International Airport from Guadalajara International Airport.

In 2018, VivaAerobus began non-stop service to Las Vegas International Airport from Mexico City International Airport.

Destinations

In-flight services

VivaAerobus has a buy on board program offering food and drinks for purchase.[12]

The airline also provides an in-flight magazine.

Bus services

VivaAerobus operates a shuttle bus from downtown El Paso, Texas to Abraham González International Airport in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua.[13]

VivaAerobus operated a bus shuttle between Austin-Bergstrom International Airport South Terminal and the Omnibus Mexicanos Bus Terminal in eastern Houston in addition to a bus shuttle between the Austin airport and the Omnibus Mexicanos Bus Terminal in downtown San Antonio for passengers on flights going to and from Cancún and Monterrey.[14][15]

Fleet

VivaAerobus Airbus A320.

As of October 2018, the VivaAerobus fleet consists of the following aircraft:[16]

VivaAerobus fleet
Aircraft In Service Orders Passengers Notes
Airbus A320-200 22 — 180
Airbus A320neo 6 18[17] 186
Airbus A321neo — 41[18] 240
Total 28 59

References

  1. ↑ "Viva Aerobus Air Operators Certificate". http://av-info.faa.gov/detail.asp?. Retrieved 25 August 2018. External link in |website= (help)
  2. ↑ Reed Business Information Limited. "VivaAerobus to drop all Austin services". flightglobal.com. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
  3. ↑ "'Mexicanizan' a VivaAerobus". Retrieved 2017-07-06.
  4. ↑ Eaton, Tim. "Viva Aerobus to cease operations out of Austin-Bergstrom Archived 2009-05-19 at the Wayback Machine.." Austin American-Statesman. Saturday May 16, 2009. Accessed May 16, 2009.
  5. ↑ "Houston airport operator envisions Hobby offering international flights in 12 markets". centreforaviation.com. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
  6. ↑ "Viaje de Monterrey a Chicago desde 125 dólares, Negocios, El Semanario". 27 July 2011. Archived from the original on 27 July 2011. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
  7. ↑ Archived 2011-08-23 at the Wayback Machine.
  8. ↑ "VivaAerobus Starts A320 Operations in Mexico". Caribbean News Digital. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
  9. ↑ 4-traders (14 May 2014). "AIRBUS : Viva Aerobus starts A320 operations in Mexico". 4-traders.com. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
  10. ↑ "VivaAerobus to Launch Mexican Service from Dallas Fort Worth". Airchive. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
  11. ↑ "VivaAerobus pulls back on US routes as the Viva Group takes aim at Costa Rica". Centreforaviation.com. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
  12. ↑ "Know Before You Go." Viva Aerobus. Retrieved on January 12, 2009.
  13. ↑ Archived 2009-01-16 at the Wayback Machine.
  14. ↑ "VivaAerobus.com - SHUTTLE AUSTIN - HOUSTON". 22 September 2008. Archived from the original on 22 September 2008. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
  15. ↑ Archived 2009-01-15 at the Wayback Machine.
  16. ↑ "Global Airline Guide 2017 (Part One)". Airliner World (October 2017): 21. |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  17. ↑ "VivaAerobus receives first of 52 A320s on order". Airbus.
  18. ↑ "Mexico's VivaAerobus orders 41 A321neo". ch-aviation.com.
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