Mexico City, Mexico — Volaris says they are canceling nine routes out of the Mexico City International Airport (AICM) that have proven to be nonprofitable. Holger Blankenstein, executive vice president of Volaris, reported that the rearrangement is part of the agreement with the federal government to reduce AICM operations to alleviate saturation by August 15, which is when Mexican airlines have been given to reduce their operations at the AICM by 10 percent. By September 15, airlines are expected to reduce AICM activity by another 10 percent.
By the mid-September deadline, Volaris will operate 40 routes in the AICM, instead of 49. It will offer 12 routes at the Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA), up from the two offered since April, and 6 new routes in Toluca.
In a conference with analysts to discuss the financial results for the second quarter of the year, Enrique Beltranena, president and CEO of Volaris said that the Toluca and Santa Lucía (AIFA) airports are “secondary” and are not intended to replace the AICM, but rather complement it.
“At the AICM, there are few growth opportunities due to saturation and the cost of operation. Now that we are negotiating lower costs at those two airports with a lower TUA, it allows us to grow in areas where there are millions of inhabitants,” Beltranena explained.
