Category Archives: VivaColombia

Photo: Viva (Air Colombia) Airbus A320-251N WL F-WWIZ (HK-5378) (msn 10570) TLS (Eurospot). Image: 954951.

GECAS delivers a special Breast Cancer Awareness A320 to Viva Air Colombia

GECAS has delivered the third of 10 new Airbus A320ceo (HK-5273, msn 8519) aircraft to Viva Air Colombia.

Named “Claudia Obando”, the aircraft has a special pink livery for Breast Cancer Awareness.

The aircraft was delivered from Hamburg to Bogota, Colombia via Keflavik and Bangor.

Top Copyright Photo (all others by GECAS and Viva Air Colombia): Vivaair.com (Viva Air Colombia) Airbus A320-214 WL D-AXAF (HK-5273) (msn 8519) (Tocate) XFW (Gerd Beilfuss). Image: 943932.

Viva Air Colombia aircraft slide show:

Viva Air finalizes order for 50 A320 Family aircraft

Airbus made this announcement:

Following an MOU signed at Le Bourget Paris Airshow in June, Viva Air, the Latin America low cost carrier group owned by Irelandia Aviation, has signed a purchase agreement with Airbus for 50 A320 Family aircraft. The 35 A320neo and 15 A320ceo will be operated by the group’s airlines VivaColombia (below) and Viva Air Peru and will allow the two all-Airbus operators to modernize their fleets and capture growth opportunities across Latin America.

Above Copyright Photo: VivaColombia (VivaColombia.com) Airbus A320-214 HK-4811 (msn 1564) MIA (Bruce Drum). Image: 104301.

The Airbus-VivaColombia relationship began in 2012 when the airline began operations with A320 aircraft. VivaColombia, based in Medellin, has been an all-Airbus operator since, and today it operates 11 A320s. Viva Air recently launched Viva Air Peru, the sister airline of VivaColombia based in Lima. Viva Air Peru currently operates three A320 aircraft.

Viva Air is a Panamanian headquartered group created by Irelandia Aviation and led by Declan Ryan. Irelandia has successfully developed six low cost carriers around the world, namely Allegiant, Ryanair, Tigerair, VivaAerobus, VivaColombia and most recently Viva Air Peru. Combined, the airlines have a fleet of more than 420 aircraft and have carried over a billion passengers.

Top Image: Airbus.

VivaColombia:

Viva Air commits to 50 Airbus A320 Family aircraft

Viva Air, the Latin America low cost carrier group owned by Irelandia Aviation, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Airbus for 50 A320 Family aircraft, comprising 35 A320neo and 15 A320ceo. The agreement paves the way for the group’s airlines VivaColombia and Viva Air Peru to base its fleet renewal and network growth on the A320 Family.

Viva Air recently launched Viva Air Peru, the sister airline of VivaColombia. Medellin-based VivaColombia operates nine A320 aircraft and Lima-based Viva Air Peru currently operates two, all with a capacity of 180 seats.

Viva Air Peru Route Map:

VivaColombia arrives in Miami

VivaColombia A320 arrives in MIA (MDAD)(LR)

VivaColombia (Medellin) launched its first service in the United States yesterday (December 2) when it began flights between Miami International Airport and Medellín, Colombia. The budget carrier, which already serves 11 cities in Colombia and three other destinations in Latin America, will also begin Miami-Bogotá service on December 16. The new flights will utilize 180-seat Airbus A320 aircraft.

VivaColombia’s Miami-Medellín flights, which operate on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, arrive in Miami at 10:10 a.m. and depart to Medellín at 11:50 a.m. The Miami-Bogotá schedule, which will also operate on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, will arrive in Miami at 7:05 p.m. and depart to Bogotá at 8:35 p.m.

VivaColombia is Colombia’s second-largest airline, the nation’s leading budget carrier, and MIA’s sixth international low-cost carrier.

Photo: Miami International Airport.

VivaColombia is coming to Miami

VivaColombia (Medellin) is coming to Miami International Airport. The low-fare carrier is intending to start daily scheduled passenger flights from Bogota and Medellin, Colombia to Miami starting on December 2, 2015.

VivaColombia operates A320 aircraft and commenced operations on May 25, 2012.

Video: VivaColombia.

Irelandia Aviation and Grupo IAMSA to expand the Viva brand in Central and South America

Irelandia Aviation and Grupo IAMSA, owners of Mexico’s low-cost airline VivaAerobus (Monterrey) and the Colombian airline VivaColombia (Medellin), announced their intention to expand the Viva airline brand in Central and South America.

Grupo Viva is being established as a multinational airline holding company based in Panama City, Panama. The new company will be responsible for the further development of the Viva airline brand beyond current operations in Mexico and Colombia, maximizing cost synergies and operational efficiencies across the group and centralizing key management functions.

Grupo Viva is chaired by Roberto Alcántara Rojas, also Chairman of the Board of VivaAerobus and Grupo IAMSA. Irelandia Aviation Managing Partner Declan Ryan will be a principal investor.

Tony Davis, currently Partner and COO of Irelandia Aviation, has been appointed CEO. In addition to working with Irelandia Aviation for the past three years, Tony has an extensive track record in establishing low-cost airlines around the world, and he has been closely involved in the recent development of VivaAerobus and VivaColombia. Tony will be responsible for the creation of the Group’s corporate structure and management infrastructure over the next 12 months.

Joe Mohan, who is joining from his position as Senior VP Commercial at COPA Airlines, has been appointed President and COO. Joe has worked in Central and South America for more than 10 years and led the commercial function in one of the region’s most successful airline groups, consistently achieving impressive growth and profitability results. He also brings direct experience of helping lead a high-performing Latin American company listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Joe will be responsible for the expansion of the group’s regional coverage and improving cost synergies and operational efficiencies for airlines in the group.

Commenting on the appointments, Declan Ryan said, “We are delighted that two executives of the caliber of Tony and Joe have agreed to lead the creation and development of our new low-cost airline group in Latin America. We are convinced that there are tremendous opportunities for our ultra-low-cost airline model to expand in the region. With our existing airlines already well-established in Mexico and Colombia, together with our order last year for 52 new Airbus A320 aircraft, this is the right time to establish Grupo Viva.”

Top Copyright Photo: Fernandez Imaging/AirlinersGallery.com. VivaAerobus (vivaaerobus.com) Boeing 737-3B7 XA-VIB (msn 23378) taxies at Austin, TX.

VivaAerobus:

Bottom Copyright Photo: Greenwing/AirlinersGallery.com. Formerly operated by OLT Express, Airbus A320-214 EI-EPX (HK-4905) (msn 1454) is now with VivaColombia (VivaColombia.com).

VivaColombia to fly internationally to Balboa, Panama

VivaColombia (Medellin) is launching its first international routes to Balboa, Panama. The low fare airline will start daily flights to the former Howard Air Force Base, now known as the Panama Pacific International Airport in Balboa, Panama (BLB) (near Panama City) on August 1 from both Bogota and Medellin.

VivaColombia is the first and only low-cost airline in Colombia. It started operations on May 25, 2012, from the Jose Maria Cordova Airport located in Rionegro, in the state of Antioquia.

Copyright Photo: Greenwing/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A320-214 EI-EPX (msn 1454) became HK-4905 when it was delivered on October 31, 2012..

VivaColombia is ready to start low-fare operations in Colombia

VivaColombia (vivacolombia.co) (Medellin) is preparing to launch operations tomorrow (May 25) with three Airbus A320s according to a report by Flightglobal. The first A320 (HK-4818-X) was delivered on April 3, 2012. However the website does not permit booking of any flights online and only lists telephone reservations numbers. According to Flightglobal, the first routes will link Medellin with Bogota, Cali and Cartagena. The new airline also intends to add new low-fare service to Barranquilla and Bucaramanga at a later date.

Computer Image: Airbus.