tl;dr – The two airlines will combine under a holding group.
Mexico’s two most popular low-cost airlines, Volaris and Viva Aerobus, have announced they will merge. The tie-up will make the combined entity Mexico’s new largest domestic airline.
Volaris and Viva Aerobus each account for roughly a third of Mexico’s domestic traffic, with the last third being mostly owned by Aeroméxico. Volarios and Viva Aerobus fly Airbus aircraft exclusively and have similar route patterns.
The deal, which is scheduled to close sometime in 2026, is still subject to regulatory scrutiny in Mexico. There could be other hurdles as well – chiefly pushback from Mexican flag carrier Aeroméxico.
This move is about on increasing scales of economy. Despite the synergies involved here, I don’t see either airline plotting any big-time international expansion anytime soon – the aircraft of their combined fleets simply don’t support that.
