18 years ago Volaris began a dream and an ambitious goal: to make more people fly by plane. With a team of highly committed professionals, we set out to democratize the skies, through the application of an ultra-low-cost model that would allow more Mexicans to decide how to travel. This was the beginning of the history of what is today the number one Mexican airline, which has safely and efficiently transported more than 220 million Customers in Mexico, the United States, Central and South America.
On March 13, 2006, Volaris took flight with the vision of transcending by creating and providing the best travel experiences at the lowest prices, while contributing to the economic and social development in Mexico.
“Our strategy has not changed since those first days: to offer real travel alternatives for millions of people who could not access the plane, giving Customers the opportunity to decide how to travel,” highlighted Enrique Beltranena, President and CEO of Volaris.
Today, Volaris comes of age, being a resilient company that has constantly overcome a path of great challenges, of breaking paradigms, of promoting a business model that really works, of being constant and dedicated, which has made it in a mature and successful company.
In these 18 years, Volaris' leadership in the national aeronautical market is undeniable. In 2023 alone, Mexico's number 1 airline transported more than 33.4 million Customers, more than three times the figure it reported at the end of 2014, when it flew 9.4 million passengers. The Volaris dream began with 2 planes at the Toluca airport, operating a route to Tijuana; Today with 134 aircraft, Volaris provides connectivity to 43 cities in Mexico, 23 in the United States and 6 in Central and South America, through 212 routes.
Keys to success Volaris
The Volaris fleet has established itself as one of the most modern and eco-efficient on the continent, being the airline that operates the largest number of Airbus A320 neo aircraft in Latin America, with a purchase order to receive 138 more aircraft in the following years, which which will allow it to renew its fleet to connect more people in a safe and accessible way, to more national and international destinations.
In the domestic market, Volaris has positioned itself as a leader in the offer of seats and routes to highly strategic destinations for economic development, such as Tijuana and Guadalajara - with a market share of 69% and 57%, respectively -, in addition to continuing being the preferred airline to travel to and from Cancun, where it currently has 24 direct routes.
Regarding its international expansion, Volaris has focused on opening routes to cities in the United States that have a large presence of Mexicans, reaching today 23 destinations in the neighboring country to the north. Likewise, the airline began operations in the Central American market in 2016 and in South America in 2021, with its first flights from Guatemala and Colombia, respectively, to some of the most important destinations in Mexico such as Mexico City, Cancun and Guadalajara.
Part of Volaris' success is due, in addition to its ultra-low-cost model, to its modern fleet and highly professional staff, to its strategic vision that has allowed it to diversify, opening new market niches that were not served by airline companies. traditional aviation.
“At Volaris we set out to make more people fly, so we set the goal of competing with buses, our real competition. Thus, through a bus switching strategy, we gave the market an accessible alternative, with all the time-saving, safety and comfort benefits that traveling by plane entails. Today 43% of our routes only compete with land transportation,” said Beltranena.
Another key factor in Volaris' success has been its “You decide” commercial strategy, allowing Customers to purchase flights at the lowest fare and only contract the additional services they really need for their trips.
Volaris' innovative and disruptive profile has also been a key factor in its growth, distinguishing itself in 2023 by allowing more than 5.2 million Customers to be served through 100% digital channels, which translated into approximately 80% of ticket sales and additional products will be made through the website and mobile application, in addition to approximately 90% of passengers checking in online.
The successful management of its social networks has allowed Volaris to be closer to its Clients and know their needs, while obtaining constant feedback on all the services it offers. This has earned it wide recognition, such as the “Digital Leadership” award at the Airline Strategy Awards 2023 in London, for the launch of the first NFTs (non-fungible tokens) in the aviation industry in Mexico, making it one of the first airline companies to implement this technology worldwide.
However, its main valuable asset has been its team of Ambassadors, which in 18 years went from 165 to nearly 7,200 members of the proud Volaris family, with whom the company remains committed to equitably providing them with opportunities for their development. professional, such as, for example, the Pilot Scholarship Program and the Talent Seedbeds, making Volaris distinguished for 14 consecutive years as a Socially Responsible Company (ESR) by the Mexican Center for Philanthropy (CEMEFI).
An essential milestone in the history of the company occurred in 2013, when Volaris became a public company, after carrying out its Initial Public Offering (IPO) on the Mexican Stock Exchange (BMV) and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). ), becoming the first Mexican ultra-low-cost airline to be listed simultaneously in both markets.
Sustainability and sustainability: part of Volaris' DNA
One of the main characteristics of Volaris is its sustainable profile. Through its corporate sustainability strategy, Volaris constantly implements practices that allow it to reduce the environmental impact of its operations. At the end of 2022, the airline reduced around 15.7% of its gCO2/RPK emissions vs. 2015, thanks to the fact that it has one of the youngest fleets on the continent and more than 50% of its aircraft are NEO equipment.
Likewise, in 2021 Volaris joined the IATA Fly Net Zero initiative, a commitment by the air transport industry to achieve decarbonization by 2050, in accordance with the objectives of the Paris Agreement.
“These 18 years of history fill us with pride. It is a wonderful story that we continue to build day by day, and in which we have the enormous responsibility and commitment to continue being the best to repay the loyalty and preference that our Clients have given us over the years. To all of them, our most honest gratitude, as well as to our Ambassadors and to all those who have been part of the success of Volaris,” said Enrique Beltranena.