VivaAerobus

Mexico's largest coach company and one of the owners of Europe's most succesful budget airline, RyanAir, work together in this airline.

The IAMSA Group is the owner of coach company Flecha Amarrilla and other brands, operates around 9,000 coaches in Mexico and transports close to 260 mn passengers a year. In interview with Reuters, before the company began operating, Ryan Air’s public relations company in Mexico, Del Cueto y Asociados, ended the rumour that the plan was to form an association between the two companies.

Now we know that Ryan was personally interested in the Mexican market, but that the deal with Grupo IAMSA was related to the Ryan family’s investment fund, not Ryan Air. The Ryan family is also an important partner in Tiger Airways of Singapur, as well as Las Vegas based AeroAllegiant in the USA.
 
After initial investment of 50 mn dollars (50% each partner), the airline launched with a fleet of 2 Boeing 737-300 from its operational base: Terminal C of Monterrey's International Airport ‘ General Mariano Escobedo ,’ in the northern state of Nuevo Leon. The inaugural flight was on November 30, 2007., destination Leon, Guanajuato.

During its first fully-operational year the company transported over a million passengers. On July 30, 2008., the magic passenger number of 2 million was reached, just 9 months after announcing its first million, and this with a fleet of just 7 Boeing 747-300s. The 7th aircraft was received just two months prior, in May, 2008.

The company announced its first mainline routings on January 30, 2008,. between Monterrey (Nuevo Leon) and Austin (Texas), in the US. And, from Austin, to Cancun, on Mexico's Caribbean coast.

An unusual touch from the company is an initiative to reduce combustible overheads by rewarding 'light' passengers. If you carry only hand luggage (up to 10 kilos and one personal object), the company pays you! Or should I say, refunds you, 100 pesos of the cost of the passage.

This airline, unlike most others, recently expanded its national route network, adding a further 4 destinations to its portfolio; the announcement was made on October 29, 2008.

Baja California Sur, Baja California, Sinaloa and Sonora are the states to benefit from the new services, the routes being Hermosillo-Tijuana (Dec. 19); Culiacán-Hermosillo, Culiacán-La Paz and Culiacán-Los Cabos, starting January 12, 2009.

Base: Terminal C – International Airport of Monterrey - Gen. Mariano Escobedo - Nuevo León.

Fleet: 11 x Boeing 737-300 , each with 148 seats.

IATA Code: VI

ICAO Code: VIV

Viva-Aerobus destinations in Mexico: 25

ACAPULCO / CANCUN / CHIHUAHUA / (CIUDAD) JUAREZ / (CIUDAD) OBREGON / CULIACAN / GUADALAJARA / HERMOSILLO / LA PAZ / LEON / LOS CABOS / LOS MOCHIS / MAZATLAN / MERIDA / MEXICO CITY / MONTERREY / MORELIA / OAXACA / PUERTO VALLARTA / REYNOSA / TAMPICO / TIJUANA / TUXTLA GUTIERREZ / VERACRUZ / VILLAHERMOSA

Viva-Aerobus destinations abroad: 2

HOUSTON and LAS VEGAS, in the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

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