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The Mexican low-cost airline Viva Aerobus lands in Austin and plans to offer non-stop flights to Mexico City and Monterrey.
The airline said it will begin service at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport next month to meet customer demand for the routes.
Austin to Mexico City will be a seasonal route, operating on Tuesdays and Sundays from June 20 to October 25. Tickets are now available for one-way prices starting at $ 89 including tax.
Austin to Monterrey has year-round non-stop service departing on Wednesdays and Saturdays starting June 19. The airline offers one-way fares for this route starting at US $ 99 including taxes.
“We look forward to providing a convenient and easy connection between these important destinations, connecting our businesses, bringing our Hispanic communities closer and providing great recreational opportunities for our tourists,” said Juan Carlos Zuazua, CEO of Viva Aerobus.
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Zuazua said the Austin flights are part of Viva Aerobus’ expansion plan in the United States. The airline currently offers more than 32 domestic flights within Mexico from Monterrey and 31 from Mexico City.
Viva Aerobus debuted from its main base at Monterrey Escobedo International Airport in 2006. The airline was founded as an alliance between Grupo IAMSA, one of Mexico’s leading bus companies, and Irelandia Aviation, the investment arm of the founders of Ryanair.
Austin Assistant City Manager Gina Fiandaca said the Viva Aerobus flights are good news for both business and leisure travelers.
“These new routes demonstrate continued confidence in the Austin market and represent a great opportunity for both our airport and our larger Austin community,” said Fiandaca.
The arrival of Viva Aerobus is the latest addition to ABIA. In April, Allegiant Travel announced plans for an operations center at the airport’s south terminal, which will result in a $ 75 million investment and nearly 90 new jobs.
The Las Vegas-based airline, which focuses on low-cost flights and is the ninth largest commercial airline in the United States, said it will house three Airbus A320 aircraft at the facility. The operations center is due to open in November.
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Allegiant has been offering flights with ABIA since 2013 and currently offers 14 non-stop routes. Since the service was set up, Allegiant has flown more than 1.1 million passengers through Austin, according to the company.
Passenger traffic at ABIA fell by 62.7% in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The airport had about 6.5 million passengers last year, up from 17.3 million passengers in 2019, the highest passenger travel year ever.
The 2020 passenger count is the lowest number for ABIA since the airport opened in 1999. Prior to COVID-19, the airport experienced record-breaking passenger growth for 10 consecutive years.
Air traffic through ABIA began to recover in March and increased 5% year over year, according to airport officials.
Other airlines are also preparing to return to travel by adding non-stop flights from Austin. This month American Airlines will fly 10 year-round and seasonal routes to and from ABIA.
Daily, year-round service from Austin to Nashville, Las Vegas, Orlando and New Orleans began on May 6, with connections to Raleigh-Durham, Tampa and Washington-Dulles later that summer, the airline said.
The new seasonal Saturday service to Aspen, San Jose del Cabo, Mexico and Destin-Fort Walton Beach, Florida begins June 5th.
Other airlines also offer service from Austin. Alaska Airlines announced that it will begin daily flights from Austin to Boise, Idaho, starting July 17. Allegiant Air will begin non-stop flights from Austin to Bozeman, Montana and Bentonville, Arkansas this summer.
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