By Juan Pedro Sanchez Zamudio
Viva Aerobus Sets Passenger Record
In December 2021, Viva Aerobus exceeded, for the first time in its history, more than 1.6 million passengers transported. This represented a growth of 46% compared to the same month of 2019 and with a load factor of 84%.
In a press release, Viva Aerobus published these record figures that demonstrate the excellent 2021 it had and its impressive continuous growth measured by passenger totals as well as revenue passenger kilometers (RPK) and available seat kilometers (ASK), measures of passengers carried and capacity, respectively.
“Our ultra-low-cost business model allowed us to continue stimulating the demand and serve more than 15 million passengers last year, thus exceeding our pre-pandemic demand levels and with a healthy load factor despite the waves of Covid-19 during 2021,” Viva Aerobus CEO Juan Carlos Zuazua said. “Our nonstop service, low prices, new fleet and unmatched reliability have been the reason for the preference and trust that passengers have given us during this pandemic.”
| Monthly Results | |||
| December 2019 | December 2020 | December 2021 | |
| Passengers | 1,136,886 | 1,103,042 | 1,660,765 |
| Load factor (RPK/ASK) | 86.8% | 76.7% | 84.3% |
| RPK (millions) | 1,285 | 1,270.2 | 1,979.2 |
| ASK (millions) | 1,480.7 | 1,655 | 2,347.7 |
With these figures, the Mexican ultra-low-cost carrier Viva Aerobus closed 2021 with solid numbers as it looks to cement its leadership in the Mexican aviation market.
Viva Aerobus celebrated in 2021 its 15th anniversary at a time of historic growth, having carried more than 80 million passengers since its founding in 2006 and showing a strong revival in demand compared to recent months.
In 2020, Viva Aerobus maintained a leadership position in the reactivation of the North American aviation industry by becoming the first carrier on the continent to resume 100% of its operational capacity after the Covid-19 pandemic affected the aviation industry, an achievement it reached in November 2020.
Viva Aerobus was positioned in March 2021 as the first Mexican carrier to exceed pre-Covid-19 passenger traffic, a trend it has maintained since then. The Mexican ultra-low-cost carrier launched 11 new routes in 2021 – five domestic and six international.
Concerning its fleet, Viva Aerobus in 2021 took delivery of its 50th Airbus A321. With this arrival, the Mexican ultra-low-cost carrier reaffirmed itself as the airline with the youngest fleet in the country and the second youngest in North America, now made up of 10 Airbus A321s and 40 Airbus A320s with an average age of only 4.6 years.
Regarding annual passenger traffic in 2021, the Mexican ultra-low-cost carrier presented a 27% increase compared to 2019, with more than 15.2 million passengers transported.
| Annual Results | |||
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | |
| Passengers | 12,019,114 | 8,122,815 | 15,267,636 |
| Load factor (RPK/ASK) | 88.7% | 80.5% | 83.6% |
| RPK (millions) | 13,374.8 | 9,393.2 | 17,830.9 |
| ASK (millions) | 15,080.1 | 11,669.5 | 21,330.7 |
After years of ups and downs, Viva Aerobus has positioned itself as one of the three main airlines in Mexico and one with the highest passenger growth rates globally.
The three things Juan Pedro loves most about aviation are aircraft, airports, and traveling thousands of miles in just a few hours. What he enjoys the most about aviation is that it is easier and cheaper to travel around the world and this gives you the opportunity to visit places you thought were too far away. He has traveled to different destinations in North, Central, South America and Asia. Born, raised and still living in Perú, Juan is a lawyer, soccer lover, foodie, passionate traveler, dog lover, millennial and curious by nature.