The Colombian low-cost carrier Viva has announced the launch of two new international routes across South America. Viva will operate from Medellín and Bogotá to Buenos Aires, Argentina, two routes that were long in the mind of the company’s CEO, Félix Antelo. Let’s investigate further.
Viva, che!
Viva Colombia had been eyeing flying to Argentina for quite some time now. On previous occasions, the airline’s CEO, Félix Antelo, had stated his interest in serving all across South America, offering lower costs for travelers. Overall, the region has high taxes, which is one of the reasons why interregional travel is not thoroughly developed.
On Thursday, Viva announced that the Argentinian Government had authorized the airline’s two newest routes, connecting Medellín and Bogotá with Buenos Aires’ Ezeiza International Airport (EZE). Viva will begin serving these new routes on June 15 onboard its Airbus A320 and Airbus A320neo fleet.
“We are the first ultra-low-cost carrier to connect Argentina with other international destinations like Miami, Mexico City, Cancún, and Punta Cana through our Medellín Hub,” said the airline in a statement.
Currently, Viva operates eight international routes and will open a few more, like Cartagena-Mexico City and Medellín-Sao Paulo, in the following months.
The competition in the market
Viva will offer four flights per week on each route, serving Argentina every Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. The fares start at US$199 for the Bogotá-Buenos Aires one-way segment and US$219 for the Medellín-Buenos Aires one, which is uncontested.
Currently, only Aerolíneas Argentinas and Avianca are serving Bogotá and Buenos Aires. The Argentinian State carrier has five flights per week, while Avianca has two daily operations. According to Aerolíneas’ website, flying between Bogotá and Buenos Aires the same week Viva launches its route could cost a minimum of US$772. Avianca’s top offer is at US$518.60.
Viva projects the fares in the route could drop up to 40% following its entrance. Moreover, Viva expects to carry up to 140,000 passengers in the first year of commercial service.
Félix Antelo said,
"The opening of Buenos Aires as Viva's new international destination is significant for us and me as an Argentinian, as we will be the only airline operating the Medellín-Buenos Aires route directly and best of all, with our usual low fares that will make this destination more accessible for Colombians. In addition, thanks to this new connection, Argentine citizens will be able to connect to Miami with very short stopovers from our Medellín Hub. They will also be able to enjoy our network of international destinations in the center and north of the continent.”
Viva has launched several new international routes in the last few months. Photo: Guillermo Quiroz Martínez via @gquimar.
The Viva hub
Viva has invested heavily in making Medellín the low-cost hub across the Americas. The carrier wants to offer seamless one-stop connections between North and South America.
Last year, Viva received approval from the Colombian civil aviation authorities to launch more than 60 routes, including 30 international.
Since receiving that approval, Viva has announced and/or launched a handful of routes, meaning Viva will continue making new announcements in the future.
Viva received authorization to operate international flights to the United States, Mexico, Peru, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Panama, Guatemala, and Aruba. The airline could launch more international flights from Bogotá, Medellín, Cartagena, Cúcuta, and Cali.
Are you excited about Viva’s new international routes to Argentina? Let us know in the comments below.