Mexican low-cost carrier VivaAerobus is launching six new routes to Mexico City and is looking to acquire at least six additional Boeing 737-300s to support further network expansion in the wake of Mexicana ceasing operations.
VivaAerobus says in a statement that it will launch on 1 October service to Mexico City from Cancun, Oaxaca, Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta, Tuxtla Gutierrez and Villahermosa. Each new route will initially be served with one daily flight.
The carrier at the same time is also expanding service on its two existing Mexico City routes - Guadalajara and Monterrey.
A VivaAerobus spokeswoman tells Flightglobal the carrier will operate all the additional flights by improving utilisation on its existing fleet of 11 Boeing 737-300s. But she reveals the carrier is now expecting "to increase our fleet by six to nine additional aircraft" in early 2011.
Flightglobal reported in June that VivaAerobus was seeking to acquire two to four additional 737-300s in 2011. But Grupo Mexicana ceasing operations last month has opened up new opportunities for the carrier, in particular at Mexico City.
VivaAerobus' strategy until now has been focused on operating point-to-point services from its Monterrey headquarters and a second base at Guadalajara that it opened last year. The carrier launched services at Mexico City International earlier this year after a shift in government policy opened up the airport to new entrants. But at the time VivaAerobus said it only viewed Mexico City as a destination from its Monterrey and Guadalajara bases and had no intention of having a large presence in the country's capital.
Mexicana's suspension, however, has suddenly opened up new opportunities for all remaining Mexican carriers at Mexico City and has led to a slight shift in strategy at VivaAerobus. Another Mexican low-cost carrier, Volaris, also unveiled this week a significant expansion of its Mexico City operation. Volaris, like VivaAerobus, gained access to Mexico City early this year after the policy shift and initially said it would have a limited presence at the airport.
Following the policy shift VivaAerobus requested six pairs of slots at Mexico City to support thrice daily service from both Guadalajara and Monterrey. But initially it only received enough slots to operate each route once per day. As part of a recent slot allocation in the aftermath of Mexicana's 28 August suspension of services, VivaAerobus has now received enough slots to increase its Guadalajara service to two daily flights and its Monterrey service to three daily frequencies, as well as enough slots to launch six new routes.
According to Innovata, all six of these routes were previously served by Mexicana or its Click unit. The Oaxaca, Mazatlan and Villahermosa routes are now only served by Grupo Aeromexico while Mexico City-Tuxtla Gutierrez is now only served by Interjet. But Interjet has unveiled plans to also launch Mexico City-Villahermosa service at the end of this month.
The Cancun and Puerto Vallarta routes are already served by both Grupo Aeromexico and Interjet. Both carriers also already compete against VivaAerobus on the Mexico City to Guadalajara and Monterrey routes.
VivaAerobus will have to compete against Volaris on Mexico City-Cancun and Mexico City-Guadalajara. Volaris will start both of these routes on 22 September.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
