Mexico City, Mexico — Mexican airlines are flying close to their pre-pandemic levels in the domestic market driven by low-cost carriers and no travel restrictions.
According to the Federal Civil Aviation Agency (AFAC), national airlines grew by 35.4 percent annually in the first half of 2021, transporting 23.1 million passengers, a figure that is also only 9.85 percent lower than the 25.6 million travelers in the same period of 2019.
The news comes after Mexican aviation lost $ 9.3 billion in 2020 due to the COVID-19 crisis, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
The AFAC also reported that due to the crisis, national airlines decreased 51.2 percent in 2020, with a 47 percent decrease in domestic travelers and almost 59 percent in international flights.
However, recovery has been more accentuated in low-cost airlines with an annual growth of 102 percent for VivaAerobus in the first half of 2021, and one of almost 70 percent for Volaris, according to the AFAC.
These companies have also taken advantage of the vacuum left by Interjet, which has not operated since December 2020 due to an insolvency crisis, a strike and a government tax debt worth million of peso.