Pandemic-strengthened Volaris plots aggressive Q4 growth

Although most airlines see hope in Q4 and beyond, few can say they are in better shape now than they were before the Covid-19 pandemic ravaged the industry. But that’s precisely what Mexican ultra-low-cost carrier Volaris claims in its Q3 results and its guidance for the near-term future. “Volaris is in a stronger position than when the pandemic began,” CEO Enrique Beltranena said during the company’s third-quarter earnings call on Friday. The carrier is not looking to cut any routes or capacity but is focused on aggressive growth, he said. And by most measures, this is no idle claim on Beltranena’s part. Volaris is one of the few carriers in the world that operated more capacity than it did in 2019, before the pandemic struck. The airline flew 21% more capacity in Q3 compared with 2019, and it plans to fly between 26-29% more than 2019 in Q4. Volaris said it expects to grow ASMs by the mid-20% range next year. Part of this is a function of fleet growth: More aircraft means more ASMs to operate. Volaris ended the quarter with 94 Airbus A320 family aircraft and plans to finish the year with 101. By the end of 2022, Volaris expects a fleet of 113 aircraft. Its fleet now is 40% A320neos, and this proportion will grow as it adds more planes; the airline is in the process of moving to an all-Neo fleet, Beltranena said.<br/>