Volaris takes delivery of its first Airbus A320

Volaris, a Mexican low-fare airline based in Toluca, Mexico, has received its first Airbus A320 from Airbus. The aircraft was handed over to Dr. Pedro Aspe, Chairman of Volaris, at a ceremony held in Toulouse in the presence of Airbus President and CEO Tom Enders. In January 2006, Volaris had signed a contract with Airbus for the acquisition of 16 new A319s, which was renewed in 2007 for 14 more A320 Family aircraft.

Volaris, which started operating in 2006, has since successfully expanded its route network with an all-Airbus fleet, and currently operates 18 A319s.

Volaris’ new A320 will carry 174 passengers in a comfortable single class configuration and will be equipped with IAE V2500 engines. The aircraft will be put into service on Volaris’ high density routes from its Toluca hub.

“The Airbus A320 Family is for us the ideal mix in terms of performance, reliability, flexibility and great economics. Extra comfort levels are guaranteed through the new Airbus cabin, giving our passengers an attractive and unique travel experience at an affordable price and with maximum comfort”, said Dr. Pedro Aspe.

Tom Enders added: “The A320 Family is best placed to deliver the lowest operational costs, making it the most economic aircraft in its class. The extra cabin space makes the A320 the preferred choice for passengers. We are sure that this combination will greatly contribute to further strengthening Volaris’ excellent market position.”

Volaris is an equal partnership between Inbursa (a Mexican financial institution), Protego-Discovery (an investment fund), TACA (a leading Latin-American airline) and Grupo Televisa (a Latin-American media conglomerate).

The A320 Family, which includes the A318, A319, A320 and A321, is recognized as the benchmark single-aisle aircraft family. Each aircraft features fly by wire controls and all share a unique cockpit and operational commonality across the range. Over 6,300 Airbus A320 Family aircraft have been sold and over 3,600 delivered to more than 280 customers and operators worldwide, making it the worlds best selling commercial jetliner ever. With proven reliability and extended servicing periods, the A320 Family has the lowest operating costs of any single aisle aircraft. Uniquely, the A320 Family offers a containerized cargo system, which is compatible with the world wide standard wide-body system.