Viva Aerobus Grows Despite Crisis

Mexican low-cost airline Viva Aerobus reported a slight increase in passenger traffic as other airlines in Mexico and abroad are in free fall due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Airlines across the globe have been left reeling from the spread of COVID-19 as measures to contain it have translated into flight cancellations and grounded aircraft. While Mexico has not closed its borders to international flights nor has it restricted internal flights, it has felt a sharp drop in national and international travel. Its two largest airport hubs, AICM and Cancun International Airport, reported a 50 percent and 75 percent drop in traffic, respectively.

The outbreak put local airlines against the ropes leading all of them to cut down their operations as demand plummeted. During March, Grupo Aeroméxico, which operates Aeroméxico and Aeroméxico Connect, reported a drop of 41.5 percent in total passenger traffic in comparison to that same month the previous year. Low-cost airline Volaris also reported less passenger traffic during the same month, 12.8 percent less than the previous year.

While Viva Aerobus also canceled some flights due to low demand, it closed March with 1 percent growth in passenger traffic compared to that same month in 2019. This number is a sharp drop from February’s 36 percent growth, which at the time was the largest monthly growth in the sector. “At Viva Aerobus, we face the COVID-19 pandemic from a strong financial position, making the necessary adjustments in operations to adapt to the current demand, with a disciplined control of expenses, support of all our suppliers and the commitment to protect 100 percent of the jobs we generate,” said Juan Carlos Zuazua, Director General of Viva Aerobus.