Known until recently as Viva Aerobus, low-cost carrier Viva is a key player in modern Mexican commercial aviation. The airline has operating bases located throughout the country, including at both Mexico City International Airport (MEX) and the capital city's new Felipe Ángeles International (NLU). This allows the airline to spread its capacity across the metropolis, covering considerable ground in doing so.
At Mexico City International Airport (MEX), Viva is one of the largest airlines by the number of destinations served, although it faces stiff competition from fellow Mexican budget carrier Volaris on several of these corridors. December is looking set to be a busy month for Viva at this facility, with data from Cirium, an aviation analytics company, showing that it will serve several routes at least twice daily.
1 Monterrey International Airport (MTY) 190 flights with the Airbus A321/A321neo
Despite Mexico City being the country's capital and the home of its largest and busiest airport, Viva 's headquarters are located elsewhere. Indeed, the airline, whose fleet consists of 51 Airbus A320s, 22 A320neos, 10 A321s and 30 A321neos (per ch-aviation), is based at General Mariano Escobedo International Airport in the city of Monterrey, some 442 miles from Mexico City International Airport.
Given the operational significance of Monterrey for Viva and Mexico City International for Mexican aviation, it is perhaps unsurprising, therefore, that the airline's top route this December links the two facilities. Indeed, it plans to operate a whopping 190 A321/A321neo flights in each direction between Mexico City International and Monterrey, offering 44,090 seats and 19,487,780 ASMs each way.
This works out at an average of more than six round trips a day, which is impressive coverage when you consider the fact that Viva also serves Monterrey from Mexico City's second airport. The airline faces direct competition from Aeroméxico and Aeroméxico Connect on the route between Mexico City International and Monterrey, while Mexicana will begin serving Felipe Ángeles from Monterrey in March.
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* Viva has also scheduled 86 Airbus A320/A320neo rotations on the route this December *
2 Cancún International Airport 186 flights with the Airbus A320/A320neo
Just four flights behind Viva's domestic corridor from Mexico City International to Monterrey this month is its internal route from the former facility to Cancún International Airport (CUN). Located on the coast in the southeast of the country, this facility has long been a key gateway to resort holidaymakers from all around the world. However, Viva's strong domestic presence also indicates its local importance.
The carrier will operate 186 A320/A320neo flights in each direction between Mexico City International and Cancún this month, offering 33,990 seats and 27,192,000 ASMs each way on the 800-mile (1,287.5 km) corridor. Competitors on the route include Aeroméxico (from both Mexico City airports, Magnicharters, and Volaris (from both Mexico City airports as well as neighboring Toluca, also served by Viva).
Photo: Robin Guess | Shutterstock 3 Tijuana International Airport 93 flights with the Airbus A321/A321neo
Viva's next-busiest route from Mexico City International this December sees less coverage, dropping from Cancún's six flights a day to thrice daily for General Abelardo L. Rodríguez International (TIJ) in Tijuana. These 93 A321/A321neo flights each way will offer 21,700 seats in each direction, and, on account of the lengthy 1,429-mile distance, a whopping 31,009,300 ASMs each way.
Direct competition comes from Aeroméxico and Volaris, although Mexicana de Aviación can also be found on the corridor from Tijuana to Mexico City's secondary Felipe Ángeles International Airport. Tijuana is known for its 'Cross Border Express' land connection to the United States. This allows US passengers to cross the Mexican border by foot and then fly domestically to various leisure destinations.
Close 4 Guadalajara International Airport 91 flights with the Airbus A320/A320neo
Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla Guadalajara International Airport (GDL) in Guadalajara is Mexico's third-busiest airport, and the destination of Viva's fourth-busiest route from Mexico City International by flights operated this month. The low-cost carrier has scheduled 91 A320/A320neo rotations on this route (just under three per day), offering 16,620 seats and 4,753,320 available seat miles in each direction.
A key reason for the fact that the figure for ASMs is so much lower than the other routes covered thus far is the much shorter distance of this corridor. Indeed, Guadalajara International Airport is located just 286 miles from Mexico City International. All the usual suspects provide competition, with Aeroméxico, Aeroméxico Connect, Mexicana (from Felipe Ángeles) and Volaris all present.
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* Viva has also scheduled 74 Airbus A321/A321neo rotations on the route this December *
5 Mérida International Airport 89 flights with the Airbus A321/A321neo
Fifth and finally on the list of Viva's top routes from Mexico City International this December by frequency and aircraft type is Manuel Crescencio Rejón International Airport (MID) in Mérida. Much like Cancún, this facility is also located in the southeast of the country, with a distance of 621 miles from Mexico City International Airport. Viva plans to operate 89 Airbus A321/A321neo flights each way this month.
Photo: Kevin Hackert | Shutterstock
These will offer 20,200 seats and 12,544,200 available seat miles in each direction, giving passengers considerable December access to the State of Yucatán. While Viva faces competition from all the usual suspects on this route, it has an impressive presence in Mérida in general, as it is comfortably the airport's largest operator by destinations served, including, as linked below, an international connection.
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