In this context, Travel2latam spoke with Fernanda Pereda, Sales and Market Development Manager in the United States for Volaris.
How is Volaris perceived in the US?
Volaris is very committed to continuing to maintain this business model that we call BFR, which is 'Visiting Friends and Relatives', and bringing that community closer to the different places we fly to in the US.
We are currently operating in 23 cities, with the largest concentration in California. We operate with our AOC in Mexico, and in Central America with flights from El Salvador. We have also seen a lot of growth from Mexico to the United States. We were in category two and that limited us greatly in opening flights, but once we returned to category one we were able to increase the frequencies we already had and look for new markets. This was at the end of last year. We are very committed to the US market by increasing frequencies and looking for new opportunities.
We currently have three new routes to open; McAllen-Cancun, San Salvador-Miami direct, and Las Vegas-Tijuana. With Las Vegas to Tijuana, we would be the first international airline to receive Tijuana from Las Vegas, and we are very excited to continue expanding by seeking out these markets, which are very unique to Volaris. Also, with all the connectivity we have in Mexico, we are the number one operator domestically, and that allows us to reach all destinations from the U.S. to Mexico.
How do you identify a destination?
To define what we need to be is a process that takes time. We must first analyze the market and always look for the business need. Our great allies in this development of destinations are the consulates, the community leaders where we find business opportunities and a public figure called the diaspora.
The consulates and community leaders give us a lot of information, as do the Mexican companies that are established in the United States, which come and go.
Where in Mexico are those opportunities from?
For example, we have a Morelia-Midway flight. In Chicago, the entire Bajío region is growing a lot, Zacatecas, Aguascalientes, all that part. In the California area there is a very large presence of Oaxacans, so that is why we have the flight.
How long have you been with Volaris?
Seven years. I love working at Volaris. The aviation industry is exciting, no two days are the same. It's always a challenge, you never get bored. It's an industry that depends on absolutely everything; weather, economy, it's very entertaining.
From a projection point of view, what programs do you have planned?
Medium and long-term programs are planned. We are going to continue strengthening our business model, which is VFR, and also with a view to seeking, strengthening and opening up the Leisure market outside of the VFR market that we have. We want the Leisure market that comes to Mexico to know about the airline and also to rely on other sectors so that they get to know us. This helps our ally, Frontier Airlines. We have a code share with Frontier, it is our sister airline. This allows more people to get to know us so that they can get on our eagles.
And does codeshare help you with destinations?
Yes, especially in the US to bring people to connect with other destinations.
From a fleet perspective, do you have new aircraft?
Yes, we just received our 134th aircraft. Most of them are 320 Neos, which is a fuel-saving and eco-friendly technology. We have grown, we started with two aircraft 18 years ago and now we have 134 aircraft, it's crazy, it's an outrage. Our entire fleet is Airbus.
How was 2023 post-pandemic in terms of passenger numbers? Which airports are you operating at?
We were the number one airline in the world with the greatest recovery. We recovered very quickly from the pandemic. That puts us at a very important international standard, because it reflects the management of all areas and as a company as a whole to be able to get out of this.
As of May of this year, we had 24 million passengers booked, we have 490 daily operations, international and domestic. And we are in 73 airports, of which 44 are domestic, 29 international. We call international the USA, Central America and South America. We operate in Colombia and Peru in South America, and in Central America in Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador and Costa Rica. We seek to continue strengthening these countries.
Leisure is a model that you are going to start working on. Do you have anything planned or is it still under study?
We are in the process of studying it, but we are looking at Mexico because it has a lot to offer. It is a very leisurely country, with beach destinations and many attractions. So we are looking at Mexico together with the US, which can also be connected.