VivaAerobus eyes USA

New low-fare carrier VivaAerobus expects to transport 3.8 million passengers this year, 60 percent more than last year, and plans to add another eight or 10 jets to its fleet of Boeing 737s. This would double its size and require an investment of $30 million. Based in Monterrey, VivaAerobus operates 50 routes, including two to the United States. This year it plans to add another six — and possibly more — flights to the United States from Monterrey and Guadalajara as well as seven additional domestic routes out of Guadalajara and Mexico City.

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Jimm Budd

Reporting from Mexico City

Member of the Society of American Travel Writers

Volaris to add routes in USA

Volaris, fourth largest airline in Mexico, plans to lease eight more Airbus jets. It will soon have a fleet of 34 planes and is scheduled to add Las Vegas and Fresno to its destinations in the United States. It now flies to Oakland, San Jose, Los Angeles and Chicago. Goal for 2011 is to transport more than five million passengers.

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Jimm Budd

Reporting from Mexico City

Member of the Society of American Travel Writers

Interjet flying high

In five years, Interjet has grown to be the second largest airline in Mexico, a title it plans to keep even if Mexicana and Aviacsa return to the skies later this year. Interjet has announced it intends to invest $90 million in expansion programs that include expanding its fleet of Airbus 320s from 22 planes to 30 and acquiring another 15 smaller (90-to-100-passenger) jets to serve airports in such cities as Queretaro, Aguascalientes and San Luis Potosi. For the moment, no plans have been announced for any international routes.

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Jimm Budd

Reporting from Mexico City

Member of the Society of American Travel Writers

New Year”s resolution

Tourism Minister Gloria Guevara has announced her goal for 2011 is a 15 percent growth in tourism. This sounds ambitious, unless one remembers that most tourism is domestic. And, on the worldwide scale, arrivals by air last year were up 16.2 percent.

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Jimm Budd

Reporting from Mexico City

Member of the Society of American Travel Writers

Mexicana may fly again

Today Mexican children awoke hoping to find gifts left by the Three Wise Men, known in Mexico as the Three Magical Kings. Mexicana Airlines, for its part, received official authorization to start flying again on Jan. 24. And it can start selling tickets now. In August, the financially troubled carrier sought bankruptcy protection, is now in receivership and has new investors. If the company does return to the skies, it will be much smaller than it had been. As of now, the new airline Interjet — controlled by descendents of President Miguel Aleman (1946 to 1952) — is the second largest in the country, after Aeroméxico.

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Jimm Budd

Reporting from Mexico City

Member of the Society of American Travel Writers

Pullmantour reports smooth sailing

Pullmantour, which last winter began operating cruises originating in Mexican ports, reports that it sold 87 percent of its available tickets during the season. Big attraction is that passengers do not need U.S. visas. The ships sail from Cozumel to other Caribbean islands or along Mexico’s Pacific coast. Primary language on board is Spanish. Pullmantour is a Spanish corporation with ships registered in Malta. The company is a subsidiary of Royal Caribbean.

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Jimm Budd

Reporting from Mexico City

Member of the Society of American Travel Writers

Quintana Roo on top

Quintana Roo, the only Mexican state with a Caribbean shoreline, this year attracted 4.78 million visitors, far more than did the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Bahamas or Jamaica. The figures include domestic as well as foreign arrivals, but outside of Mexico these are negligible.

Quintana Roo includes Cancun, the Riviera Maya, Cozumel, Isla Mujeres and more. Prior to 1972 it was an almost-forgotten federal territory inhabited primarily by Maya villagers. Cozumel was its only international travel destination. The development of Cancun changed things.

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Jimm Budd

Reporting from Mexico City

Member of the Society of American Travel Writers