Low cost Viva Air opens route from São Paulo to Medellín

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The low cost company Viva Air started operating in Brazil this week with regular round-trip flights from Medellín to São Paulo.

Outbound flights are scheduled for Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, arriving in São Paulo (Guarulhos) at 4:25 am the following morning (flight VVC-461).

The return to Medellín takes place at 5:25 am (flight VVC-460) on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. The inaugural operation, last Wednesday (22), according to data from the Radarbox platform, was with the HK-5389 jet.

Low cost airlines lower the cost of operation to offer cheaper tickets. In this model, the airlines Flybondi, JetSmart, Sky Airline and Norwegian Airlines already operate in Brazil.

On Viva, all tickets include a backpack or bag that fits under the seat in front. Larger bags, food and drinks are charged separately.

Another difference from traditional airlines is that the Colombian airline only works with a single type of seat on a plane. There is no economy, business or first class.

Those from São Paulo who want to enjoy the July 9th state holiday by traveling to Colombia’s second largest city, returning on the following Tuesday (12th) can find return tickets from R$3,671 on Viva Air.

The same route through Avianca, which took over the Colombian company in April, starts at R$5,717. For the Panamanian Copa Airlines, the estimated cost for Kayak is R$ 5,089. The company’s regular trips in Brazil will be with Airbus A320neo jets, with capacity for 188 passengers in a single class.

Viva Air’s arrival comes a week after President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) vetoed the return of free baggage on domestic and international flights.

The proposal to ban the charge for checking baggage was part of a provisional measure passed in Congress at the end of May and which became the Simple Flight Law.

Since the discussion on the return of the mandatory baggage allowance was resumed in Congress, the Brazilian airline industry has spoken out against it. Among some of the reasons presented, the companies highlighted that the adoption of the measure would misalign Brazil with the international market. Currently, only Cuba and North Korea still adopt this franchise model.

According to Abear (Brazilian Association of Airlines), the current model of charging for the transport of luggage, which is separate from the air ticket, allows the existence of a cheaper fare class for those who fly without luggage.

According to industry experts, in the mandatory franchise, the value of the order was diluted in the price of tickets for all passengers, even those traveling without a suitcase.

Viva Air has been operating since 2012, headquartered in Colombia, has domestic flights in Colombia and Peru and offers international routes between these countries and Argentina, the United States and Mexico.

Viva Air will be part of the newly created Grupo Abra, controlled by Gol and Avianca, the oldest airline in operation in the Americas and the oldest in the world in terms of uninterrupted operations.

Since the end of the pandemic, airlines around the world have been trying to get back on their feet. Global demand for domestic and international air travel in April 2022 increased by 78.7% compared to the same month in 2021, according to IATA (International Air Transport Association), but the sector continues to be impacted, now, by the war in Ukraine and the restrictions on flights in China.

The challenge is the exchange rate and value of QAV, the kerosene used in aviation.

In Brazil, the price of QAV accumulates an increase of 102.4% in 12 months, comparing June 2022 with the same period last year, according to data from the ANP (Agência Nacional do Petróleo, Gás Natural e Biocombustíveis).

(with aeroin)

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