Mexico has been downgraded to Class 2 by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) since Might 2021. Being in Class 2 prohibits Mexican carriers from launching new routes, including new planes, or totally executing their partnership with US carriers. Earlier this week, Viva Aerobus mentioned it has needed to briefly droop the launch of seven new routes to this nation attributable to Mexico’s incapability to revive its Class 1 standing.
Fewer routes
Viva Aerobus was trying to launch round three routes to america final 12 months, when Mexico was downgraded to Class 2 standing. In line with the FAA, the Authorities of Mexico doesn’t meet Worldwide Civil Aviation Group (ICAO) security requirements. We all know a minimum of two of Viva Aerobus’ blocked routes: Mexico Metropolis-Austin and Monterrey-Austin. Earlier this week, Juan Carlos Zuazua, CEO of the ultra-low-cost service, mentioned,
“Once we have been downgraded, we had three routes on sale that we needed to placed on maintain. We may have opened three or 4 extra routes. Presently, we should always have six or seven (further routes to america). What we’re doing is delaying the launch of operations of those new routes.”
As of September 2022, Viva Aerobus operates 107 weekly flights to america. The low-cost airline has 19 routes from 5 Mexican cities (Guanajuato, Guadalajara, Mexico Metropolis, Morelia, and Monterrey). Viva Aerobus flies to Dallas Fort Value (DFW), Houston (IAH), New York (JFK), Las Vegas (LAS), Los Angeles (LAX), Chicago (ORD), and San Antonio (SAT).
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Extra influence
Viva Aerobus is just not the one Mexican airline with its development plans to the US constrained by the Class 2 standing. In July, Volaris introduced it must briefly droop its route between Felipe Ángeles Worldwide Airport (NLU) to Los Angeles.
By way of partnerships, the Viva Aerobus-Allegiant three way partnership (which features a US$50 million funding from the US ultra-low-cost service) can be pendant to Mexico recovering its Class 1 standing. Furthermore, Delta and Aeromexico are additionally constrained of their partnership because of this as nicely.
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In line with a Mexican assume tank, the native carriers have misplaced round 9.2 billion pesos (US$460 million) in gross sales and have carried 2.3 million fewer passengers. “Fortuitously,” for the Mexico–US market, the US carriers have stepped up their recreation and addressed the demand, so there has not been a lower within the provide, the assume tank added.
It’s unlikely Mexico will recuperate its Class 1 standing earlier than the 12 months ends. Most certainly, the method will drag out till subsequent 12 months. Not solely are the airways being impacted by this measure, however Mexico Metropolis’s new worldwide airport can be impacted as a result of it might’t obtain new worldwide companies to america operated by Mexican airways. The airport solely has scheduled 4 worldwide routes earlier than the 12 months ends.
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Viva Aerobus opens up a brand new base
The Mexican low-cost service introduced this week that it’s going to set up a brand new operational base at Merida Worldwide Airport (MID), positioned on the Yucatan peninsula.
An operational base is an airport the place plane keep in a single day and their crew and base engineers reside in order that the fleet and personnel return house on the finish of the day. Thus, by being a spot the place plane and crew can stay, it’s attainable to extend flight itineraries and open new routes within the area. On this regard, as of December 2022, a Viva Aerobus plane will keep in a single day on the Merida airport, rising to a few plane by 2023.
With the brand new base, Viva expects to stay the airline with the biggest provide within the state and function 400 flights per 30 days, making greater than 2 million seats per 12 months out there to passengers.
