Viva Air returns to Cali with four new routes | Companies | Business

After two years of absence in the Cali air market, the low-cost airline Viva Air, inaugurated its return to the city with four new routes that will connect the capital of Valle del Cauca with Medellín, Barranquilla, Cartagena and San Andrés.

(Read: Passengers mobilized in ‘low cost’ grew 24% in 2019)
The projections for this 2020 in this square, are to reach 450,000 passengers transported and is launched with the aim of energizing the city’s air transport and thus, generating higher levels of connectivity to reach the growth target of 40% compared to 2019.

(Read: Viva Air will fly to Buenos Aires and Santiago de Chile)

This was stated by Félix Antelo CEO and president of the Viva Air Group, who also said that the air operation in this region will represent half of the projected growth for the year.

(Read: Viva Air will enter the cargo business in Colombia this month)

The inaugural flight departed from the city of Medellín. The promotional rate will be $ 79,900, a value that will be maintained over the next few weeks and that represents up to a 40% discount compared to competitors’ prices, according to the manager.

“Our unit cost is much lower than what we had three years ago, this allows us to sell cheaper and be sustainable. Also, have a better itinerary compared to 2017, ”Antelo said.

Regarding the concession, conditions of equality prevail for all airlines in the sector; However, there are advantages for companies that establish new routes in their operating network for a certain period of time. The benefits range from reductions in airport fees, to reduction in parking costs.

For its part, the operations manager of Aerocali, Antonio Silva, predicted that the concessionaire will have a growth above 20% this year, and that for the fulfillment of the goal, Viva Air is of great importance. “If Viva is doing well, the Colombian West is doing well.”

Silva also mentioned that 2010 was the year of greatest growth for the consortium, because at that time, Viva Colombia arrived in this area of ​​the country.

FUTURE GROWTH

By 2020, the company has the goal of transporting more than seven million passengers in total. In addition to this, the airline acquired 15 new aircraft; Five Airbus Neo will be operational this year, and, starting in 2021, eight to ten aircraft will arrive per year until the 50 announced aircraft are completed.

On the other hand, Felix said Pereira, Santa Marta and Bogotá are in the company’s plans. Despite this, they were not taken into account at the launch, since, for example, the Cali – Bogota market “is a market that is over-offered and multiplied by two, last year, in offered chairs.

That is a capacity that the market cannot absorb overnight, it is a market that is not profitable. ” The launch also had the presence of the mayor of Palmira, Óscar Escobar and the Secretary of Tourism, Julián Franco.

– .