The Mexican low-cost carrier Viva Aerobus has become an official sponsor of the NBA team, the San Antonio Spurs. It is the first alliance the low-cost airline signs with a sports team based in the United States. As a result of the new partnership, one of Viva Aerobus’ aircraft will have a special livery and name. Let’s investigate further.
The Spurs and the low-cost carrier
A few days ago, Viva Aerobus announced it will become the first Mexican sponsor for the NBA team, the San Antonio Spurs.
Both companies will work together, promoting sports and health. Moreover, Viva Aerobus is set to baptize an Airbus A320 with the name and image of the San Antonio Spurs. The airline published a render of how the aircraft would look with the new livery.
Looking at the connectivity between San Antonio and Mexico City
While the San Antonio Spurs are not among the NBA teams with the largest number of followers in Mexico (these are the Chicago Bulls, the LA Lakers, and the Golden State Warriors), San Antonio is one of the most important cities in terms of connectivity between Mexico and the United States.
Overall, there are five routes between Mexico and San Antonio, connecting Cancún, Bajío, Guadalajara, Mexico City, and Monterrey. Between January and November 2021, there were 311,362 passengers, according to data provided by the Mexican Government.
Monthly, there are 528 flights scheduled between Mexico and San Antonio, according to Cirium. Viva Aerobus is the largest operator in the market, with 116 scheduled flights from Monterrey, Mexico City, and Bajío. Volaris has 76 scheduled flights, Aeromexico 71, and Southwest just one. Compared to January 2020, before the COVID-19 pandemic, there are 30.7% more flights and 45.7% more seats available.
Viva Aerobus wants more brand awareness in the US
The Mexican low-cost carrier wants to increase its popularity among US travelers. Historically, Mexican carriers have been unable to get a grip among US citizens, according to a recent report by Viva Aerobus and Allegiant.
“Mexican carriers have been consistently unable to overcome the market muscle and brand awareness of US carriers, including their databases of customer loyalty information that enable targeted digital marketing to attract US leisure travelers.”
For example, if Mexican carriers were to launch 42 routes from the three domestic largest leisure destinations (Cancun, Los Cabos, and Puerto Vallarta) to the United States, 37 would wound up being shut down.
Therefore, one of Viva Aerobus’ main goals is to promote its brand among US travelers. The recent partnership with the NBA team, the San Antonio Spurs, will help Viva Aerobus achieve this goal.
In the United States, there are 2.9 million Hispanic San Antonio Spurs fans, most of them living in Texas, where Viva Aerobus deploys many flights. According to Cirium, the airline currently has 734 flights between Mexican destinations and Texas, a 919.4% increase compared to January 2020.
Jesús Sáenz, the San Antonio International Airport Director, said,
“This partnership between our local team and our biggest international airline is really exciting. It represents the compromise we have with our community, and it also shows Viva Aerobus’ trust in our market, given the recent growth the airline has had in the airport, operating close to 40 round flights per week.”
Are you a fan of the San Antonio Spurs? Have you traveled before onboard Viva Aerobus’ flights? Let us know in the comments below.
