By Juan Pedro Sanchez Zamudio
Volaris Grows Its A320neo Fleet
Ultra low-cost airline Volaris has incorporated a new Airbus A320neo into its fleet, hoping to build on its strategy of increased frequencies throughout its 170 route network.
According to a21, with this new aircraft arrival, Volaris will have an integrated fleet of 86 aircraft with an average age of 5 years: six A319s, 40 A320s, 24 A320neo, nine A321s and six A321neo.
The airline projects that by 2023, 60% of its fleet will be a neo type, representing an estimated 18% fuel savings on an ongoing basis. In addition to reduced fuel consumption, the aircraft has the potential to achieve a significant reduction in its CO2 footprint compared to previous versions of the aircraft.
During 2020, Volaris transported more than 14.7 million passengers, which represented a 33% drop compared to 2019. The Mexican ultra-low-cost carrier expects to reach pre-pandemic levels by the middle of this year.
Volaris has seen an advantage in comparison to its competitors by implementing an accessible prices strategy. By offering low fares, along with a business model that keeps operating costs to a minimum, it has been able to gain market share during Interjet intermittences in 2020.
Similar to other ultra low-cost carriers, Volaris utilizes a “point to point” network model, which is to directly connect two destinations. This strategy differs from that of many legacy carriers, which prefer to channel all of their passenger traffic through its hubs.
During 2020, two Mexican airlines, Volaris and Aeroméxico Connect, were among the top carriers when it came to total flights in Latin America, according to Cirium.
The five airlines that operated the most flights during 2020 were Azul Linhas Aéreas, with a count of 144.8 thousand flights, GOL Linhas Aéreas with 116.9 thousand flights, LATAM Brazil with 114.9 thousand flights, Volaris with 93.3 thousand and Aeroméxico Connect with 61.1 thousand.
It is important to mention that Volaris operated more flights than any Middle Eastern or African carrier in 2020.
Mexico City International Airport, a favorite of Volaris, was the terminal that had the most flights in the region throughout 2020. Due to the COVID-19 crisis, the airport even exceeded flight counts from all European, Middle Eastern and African airports.
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.
