Volaris Expands its Kingdom (and its Routes) From the “Navel” of the World
It looks like Guadalajara International Airport needed more stamps in its passport, because low-cost airline Volaris just added five new flights to its already bulging collection. Because what is life without more options to escape, right?
The new crown jewels connect the pearl of Guadalajara with Puebla, Villahermosa, Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo, Durango and, for those with a little more ambition (and passport), Bogotá! And the best of all is that they operate from now on, because in the world of low-cost aviation there is no time for prolonged ceremonies.
With this master move, the company reaches a whopping 53 routes from the capital of Jalisco. A breakdown that, of course, includes 30 domestic flights, 21 to the United States (because the American dream continues to sell) and two to Central and South America, to begin conquering the south.
Emperor Beltranena and his Fleet of 150 Ships
All this was announced at the event to present the 150th aircraft of the fleet. 150? One can almost imagine the president and CEO, Enrique Beltranena Mejicano, whispering “my precious” as he caresses the fuselage. It was at this aeronautical celebration where Beltranena dropped the pearl of the day: “The center and navel of Volaris is in Guadalajara.”.
What a statement! You’d think the corporate headquarters or something would be the navel, but apparently, it’s Guadalajara. He also stated, with the modesty that characterizes a CEO, that “we have transformed the transportation and connectivity industry”. Of course, because before Volaris, no one knew how to connect point A to point B cheaply.
The director, in a burst of numerical transparency, explained that he concentrates about 25 percent of his operations in Guadalajara. This translates into more than 90 daily takeoffs and about 28 aircraft that spend the night at the Guadalajara terminal. Do they spend the night? How adorable, almost as if the airships needed their blanket and a bedtime story.
Since its arrival in the City in 2006, the airline has transported more than 80 million passengersto and from Guadalajara. Eight zero million. A figure that could easily be the population of a fictional country dedicated exclusively to packing suitcases and going through security checks.
And in case anyone doubted its impact, this year more than 7.1 million passengers have already traveled from the State. That is equivalent to 20 thousand daily users on average. It maintains more than 2,500 direct jobs and about 12,000 indirect jobs, generating an economic benefit of more than 1,500 million dollars a year. Figures so large that they almost make you want to ask for a loan.
Officials Applaud Connective Feat
At the event, Governor Pablo Lemus Navarro could not be missing to recognize the importance of the announcement. Because what better way to demonstrate the power of a government than by celebrating a private company doing its job well?
For her part, Michelle Fridman Hirsch, head of the Secretary of Tourism of Jalisco (Secturjal), stood on the podium to release some numbers that would make an accountant blush. He stated that “90 percent of the international connectivity of this country is here in Jalisco”. A bold statement that surely caused joy in Jalisco and a deep sigh in Mexico City, Cancún and Monterrey.
But it didn’t end there: “Since the beginning of this Government we have grown a lot in connectivity. We have been in government for 276 days (and) we have inaugurated 27 new flights”. A new flight every 10.2 days! One wonders if the government team has time to govern amid all the ribbon cutting at airport gateways.
In short, the Volaris empire continues to expand from its sacred “navel” in Guadalajara, taking off planes as if they were pamphlets and accumulating passengers at a pace that defies all logic. The sky is the limit, although with these growth rates, it could soon be just another route.
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