Volaris, Mexico’s leading low-fare air carrier, has landed north of the border at Los Angeles International Airport.
Last week, Los Angeles became the first city in the United States served by Volaris, with daily flights to two Mexican destinations: Toluca, located near Mexico City, and Guadalajara.
“Los Angeles represents one of the most attractive U.S. destinations for Mexicans traveling for business or leisure purposes, or to visit family and friends,” said Volaris Managing Director Enrique Beltranena in a statement. “We are confident in coming here.”
Volaris, now in its third year of operation, boasts of having transported more than 8 million customers to 21 cities in Mexico. It attracts them with low fares and an unusually strong guarantee: Passengers’ money is refunded if a flight is delayed 30 minutes or if baggage fails to arrive at the destination.
Locally, though, the carrier will be in a competitive market, with Mexicana, AeroMexico, United and Alaska Airlines offering the same itineraries. But Volaris hopes its lower fares will help it break through; the company is offering introductory fares at $99 one way, and often undercuts its domestic competitors by $50 to $100 per flight.
“Any airline starting a new route does so at its jeopardy as oil prices are high and travel is down,” said Jack Keady, a Playa del Rey aviation consultant. “Volaris has a considerable amount of competition and don’t seem to be advertising much, so even with lowering prices they certainly have an uphill battle.”
The company, which operates a fleet of Airbus A320s, already has one powerful supporter stateside: Southwest Airlines. Southwest has announced a code share agreement set to begin next year with Volaris, which will direct Southwest passengers seeking connections to Mexican destinations to Volaris’ Web site.
“That may help them, but Volaris will have to step up their profile with getting out the word on their own in Los Angeles,” Keady said.
Seeing Green
A historic complaint from passengers using Los Angeles International Airport is the lack of a light-rail line directly serving the airport.
But that could change as city officials take another look at the Green Line possibly being extended directly into LAX. Currently passengers can take it to El Segundo and then grab a shuttle bus to the airport.
Los Angeles City Council member Bill Rosendahl, who represents the area, submitted a motion to the Trade, Commerce & Tourism Committee in late June asking LAX officials to conduct a study on the feasibility of extending the Green Line to the Central Terminal Area at the airport.
“An on-airport rail link inside the LAX central terminal would provide the greatest convenience to passengers and encourage the use of the city’s mass transit system,” said Rosendahl in a statement.
Space constraints historically have been one challenge in extending the Green Line. But the councilman said the issue is worth revisiting because the Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners recently agreed to purchase a 20-acre parcel just east of Terminal 1 for $125 million that could provide land for a light-rail stop.
Airport officials said for now they plan to have the parcel’s private operator continue to run the property as a parking lot. And they are not banking on a Green Line expansion; airport officials are still pursuing a proposal for a tram to transport travelers from the existing Green Line stop to the airport.
Rosendahl’s motion is slated to be discussed in committee again later this month, said Councilwoman Janice Hahn, also on the panel.
Solar Sailing
The world’s first large cargo ship to use some solar energy for power has arrived in the Port of Long Beach thanks to the local arm of Toyota Motor Corp.
Toyota Logistics Services, a Long Beach-based branch of Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. in Torrance, last week welcomed the maiden voyage to the port of the Auriga Leader, a 656-foot cargo carrier developed by Tokyo-based NYK Line.
After NYK announced it was developing the ship, Toyota Logistics, which handles the car maker’s U.S. imports, lobbied corporate officials in Japan to develop an agreement with NYK for the ship to only handle Toyota cargo, said Amy Taylor, a Toyota spokeswoman.
Now the Auriga Leader will be making monthly trips to deliver as many as 6,200 cars at Long Beach and Portland, Ore. But the technology still has its limits: The ship’s 328 solar panels provide less than 1 percent of the power needed to power the freighter.
Staff reporter Francisco Vara-Orta can be reached at [email protected] or (323) 549-5225, ext. 241.
