Viva Aerobus

Viva, known until October 2024 as Viva Aerobus, is a Mexican low-cost airline operated by Aeroenlaces Nacionales and owned through Grupo Viva Aerobus. Its headquarters are in Terminal C of Monterrey International Airport in Apodaca, Nuevo León, and Monterrey is still its largest hub. Unusually for an airline, its owner is a bus company: the Mexican coach group IAMSA, which has held 100% of the business since December 2016.

A Ryanair-family start

The airline was set up as a joint venture between IAMSA and Irelandia Aviation, the investment vehicle of the Ryan family behind Ryanair; Irelandia held 49%. It began flying on 30 November 2006 with two Boeing 737-300s and one route, Monterrey to Tijuana, aiming to undercut Mexico's traditional carriers by a wide margin. A first US venture, a base at Austin, Texas, opened in May 2008 and closed in May 2009. Guadalajara became the second Mexican base in 2009, and Juan Carlos Zuazua, still chief executive, took charge in June 2010. Viva moved into Mexico City after Mexicana stopped flying in 2010 and turned it into a hub in April 2011. Further bases followed in Cancún (2013), Tijuana (2015) and Mérida (2022).

The fleet changed completely in the mid-2010s. In October 2013 Viva agreed to buy 52 Airbus A320-family aircraft, the first A320s arrived in May 2014, and it has flown only Airbus aircraft since the end of 2016. In December 2016 Irelandia sold its stake to IAMSA.

How it operates

Viva's own investor reports describe an ultra-low-cost model. The ticket includes a personal item, and carry-on bags, checked bags and other services are sold through fare bundles or as extras. In the second quarter of 2026, ancillary revenue per passenger was higher than the average fare. The network mixes point-to-point flights between mid-sized Mexican airports with hub flying at Monterrey, and covers Mexico, the United States and parts of Central and South America. Besides Monterrey, the operating bases are Cancún, Guadalajara, Mexico City (both Benito Juárez and Felipe Ángeles), Los Cabos, Mérida and Tijuana. Partnerships include an alliance with Allegiant Air for US–Mexico flying, announced in December 2021 subject to approval, a codeshare with Iberia from 2022, and an interline agreement with Air Canada from 2024.

Fleet and 2026

At the end of June 2026 Viva reported 109 aircraft, excluding short-term wet leases: 32 A320ceos, 29 A320neos, 12 A321ceos and 36 A321neos, with an average age of 7.9 years. That was up from 104 at the end of 2025. Problems with the Pratt & Whitney GTF engines continue to weigh on the operation: an average of 27.9 A320neo-family aircraft were on the ground in the second quarter of 2026. Capacity in that quarter was 7.7% lower than a year earlier, and booked passengers fell 3.7% to 7.2 million.

The other development is consolidation. In December 2025 Viva and Volaris agreed to form a holding company. Each airline would keep its own operating certificate and brand, and closing was expected in 2026 subject to regulatory and shareholder approval. The 2024 rebrand to "Viva" brought a new logo and livery and looser rules on changes to tickets, names and flights.