The Viva Air Group has started December with great news. Adding a new base of operations, new routes, and revealing future plans once the post-pandemic market is consolidated. In addition, they will receive a fourth and fifth Airbus 320 NEO in the coming weeks.
The ultra-low-cost carrier announced that Cali, Colombia, will be its fourth operation hub, with two aircraft in the base and generating 200 jobs in the aeronautical and tourism sectors for the region. In addition, it will allow Viva Air to increase its itineraries and open new direct routes in 2021.
Cali joins the Bogotá and Medellín hubs by the Colombian branch and Lima, owned by the Peruvian subsidiary. In Colombia, steady and significant growth is evident due to the good results obtained since its arrival in the air market in 2012.
“Today Viva has full capacity to compete in new and better conditions in the market,” said Félix Antelo, president & CEO of the Viva Air Group.
Antelo added that Viva Air became the main airline in Cali by connections offered, connecting with Bogotá, Medellín, San Andrés, Cartagena, Barranquilla and Santa Marta; these last two were inaugurated on December 3 and 4 respectively.
“We ratify our commitment to Cali as a destination and we remain firm in our purpose of invigorating the air sector in Colombia through air inclusion,” Antelo closed.
For their part, the authorities of AeroCali, concessionaire of the Alfonso Bonilla Aragón International Airport, celebrated the increased Cauca valley’s connectivity by incorporating Cali as an operational base, and the addition of two routes to the north coast of the Colombian Caribbean by opening Barranquilla and Santa Marta. Both routes will have 4 weekly flights and project 10,500 travelers in the first month of operations.
Celebramos el anuncio de @VivaAirCol sobre su nueva base de operaciones en Cali. La aerolínea ya conecta a la región con seis destinos nacionales: Bogotá, Medellín, San Andrés, Cartagena, desde hoy Barranquilla y mañana Santa Marta 👉 https://t.co/09AbQXsC8s pic.twitter.com/7tTzcpgtma
— Aeropuerto Alfonso Bonilla Aragón (@aerocali) December 3, 2020
Since the beginning of operations in 2012, Viva has generated a significant movement of passengers, transporting 27 million travelers as a Group with an average of 182,000 flights. It should be noted that the airline managed to increase its market share this year, which went from 15 to 24 percent, according to figures from Aerocivil.
To accompany the growth of the company, on December 1, Juan Diego Zapata joined the corporate team as the new Director of Sales and Distribution. With more than 20 years of experience in the airline industry and the tourism sector, after passing through AeroMéxico, Avianca and LATAM; is a social communicator/journalist, Master in Marketing Management, with studies in management development, news trends and marketing.
During the Routes Reconnected conference, Félix Antelo showed that they were close to obtaining the Air Operator Certificate (AOC) to operate in another Central and/or South American country, but they were delayed due to the pandemic. At the moment, they have not revealed which is the other country where they want to base the company, although the manager of Irelandia Aviation, Declan Ryan, who is also a partner of the ultra-low-cost, has said that they considered the Ecuadorian market in 2019.
Antelo reportedly said that they were planning to start four international routes in 2020: one to the United States, two to the Caribbean and another to South America. Due to the pandemic, he postponed them to June or July 2021.
To close the great news of Viva Air, it was announced that in the upcoming weeks the fifth and sixth Airbus 320 NEO would be incorporated into its fleet of 20 aircraft, which will be christened as “Hasta la Viva, baby” and “Rayo McViva” with registrations HK-5360 and HK-5361 respectively.
