The European aircraft manufacturer Airbus plans to deliver 264 A320 aircrafts in Mexico in the next few years, once the contract with Indigo Partners, one of the shareholders of the airline Volaris, is signed.
The president for Latin America and the Caribbean of the company, Rafael Alonso, explained that this shows that the Mexican market continues its growth and has capacity for new planes and routes. So adding the contract with Indigo Partners, which expects to be completed by the end of this year, would add 264 aircraft.
The fund signed a memorandum of understanding for the purchase of 430 additional aircraft of the A320, which will be assigned to the low cost airlines Frontier Airlines (United States), JetSmart (Chile), Volaris (Mexico) and Wizz Air (Hungary), once the final purchase agreements with Airbus are completed.
“We want to do it (sign a contract) before the end of the year,” he said in an interview at the 14th Aviation Leaders Forum organized by the Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA). At the moment, the fleet in service of the European manufacturer in Mexico is 74 of Volaris, 23 of VivaAerobus, 55 of Interjet and six of Aerounion, with a total of 158 aircrafts.
One of the shareholders of the Mexican company is Indigo Partners, a United States fund specialized in the transport and aviation industry, which has participation in four airlines, one of them Volaris, and collectively requested 430 Airbus aircraft. Although in the case of the company directed by Enrique Beltranena, there were 80 A320 and A321, which would start arriving from 2022 to 2026.
“This strengthens us even more in Mexico, where we already have an important presence, but with those 80 additional aircraft, Volaris gives it an important critical mass; part of them go to renew fleet and others to growth, and that shows that the Mexican market is buoyant and continues to grow,” he said.
The Executive Director of Volaris, José Luis Suárez, said that this announcement is a commitment that the company has for the growth of the country, as well as the infrastructure. “These planes are going to start arriving from 2022 and until 2026, and they have to do with this plan of growth and renewal of the company’s fleet to have the best technology. Part of them are to replace the fleet, some to increase national and international routes, and others will go to Volaris Costa Rica,” he said.
