volaris , legally concesionaria vuela compañía de aviación , s.a.b. de c.v. ( bmv : volara , nyse : vlrs ) , is a mexican low-cost airline based in santa fe , álvaro obregón , mexico city with its hub in guadalajara , mexico city , and tijuana , and as well focus cities in cancun , los angeles , and monterrey .

it is the country 's second largest airline after aeroméxico and serves domestic and international destinations within the americas .

it is a leading competitor in the mexican domestic airline market , now with a market share of over 21 % of domestic traffic .

volaris

volaris plans to nearly double its fleet by 2020 . ( photo : volaris )
the most recent batch of new us routes for volaris represent its first us routes from querétaro and oaxaca , giving volaris 15 international gateways in mexico .
avoid volaris airlines ! ! ! ! bad bad bad businesss . horrible customer service
the following table summarizes volaris traffic results for the month and full year 2016 .
on july 7 , 2016 , volaris will begin service to seattle from guadalajara .
you can reach volaris via facebook or via a contact form on their website .
codeshare agreement with condor flugdienst . codeshare agreements seem like a big way that volaris
volaris started service between sacramento int ' l and guadalajara on november 15 , 2012 . volaris then began flights between denver and mexico city on december 8 , 2012 .
on february 22 , 2013 , volaris and southwest stopped codesharing . southwest decided to focus more on the mexican market with airtran airways , instead of codesharing with volaris .
at volaris , our business is acquiring , strengthening and growing vertical market technology companies .
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tuesday was volaris’ last day of operations at the fort lauderdale airport , meyer confirmed .
mia : low - cost carrier volaris to add two mexico routes on feb . 1
volaris began non - stop flights between chicago / o ' hare and mexico city on december 17 , 2013 . this replaced volaris ' chicago / midway - mexico city flights .
on december 13 , 2010 , volaris started services between midway international airport and guadalajara . it is volaris ' fourth international destination , first international service to a secondary airport and the longest route of volaris ' history . after mexicana de aviación ' s shutdown , volaris took over many of mexicana ' s international destinations and flights from its focus city , guadalajara .
mexico’s volaris is continuing to pursue expansion in the us market , despite an unfavourable geopolitical environment . the trump administration has impacted demand in the northbound vfr segment of the mexico - us market , volaris’ traditional focus , leading to a rare quarterly loss for volaris in 1q2017 .
codeshare agreements , most airlines stick to their designated paths , day after day . volaris travels
volaris ' s average price of $ 394 is less than the medium carriers ' average of $ 1 , 365 . you could save approximately $ 971 flying on volaris ( y4 ) .
note : excludes volaris costa rica . source : capa – centre for aviation and mexico’s sct .
this has turned into a full on war with volaris as i did not authorize 2 bookings .
in 2016 , volaris carried 69 , 927 passengers to and from the airport , meyer said .
volaris began non - stop flights between reno–tahoe international airport and guadalajara on december 16 , 2014 .
volaris will also begin the first service link between austin and guadalajara on august 7 , 2016 .
promotion codes are also sometimes available at the volaris website for discounts of up to 50 % .
aeromexico target a more similar airway route and location . on volaris’ top international routes , it faces
wn made a big mistake by not implementing the codeshares with volaris and westjet many years ago .
, volaris has increased its routes from an initial 5 to a current 140 and its fleet from 4 to 53 aircraft . volaris currently operates over 220 daily flight segments on routes connecting 38 cities in
volaris received approval to fly to southern california ' s san diego international airport on july 12 , 2012 . volaris then began non - stop flights between orlando and guadalajara from july 14 , 2012 .
, volaris has increased its routes from an initial 5 to a current 138 and its fleet from 4 to 54 aircraft . volaris currently operates over 240 daily flight segments on routes connecting 39 cities in
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urltoken presents our independent volaris safety ratings and reviews . country of origin : | airline code : y4
mia : low - cost carrier volaris to add two mexico routes on feb . 1 - sun sentinel
oakland international airport ( oak ) and volaris airlines have announced the expansion of volaris’ international operations at oak with the addition of new nonstop flights linking oakland with tijuana , mexico beginning march 4 , 2015 .
contribute to imdb . add a bio , trivia , and more . update information for peter volaris »
a few of you have asked how rapid rewards will work with our volaris partnership . at this time , customers aren ' t able to use award tickets or earn rapid rewards credits for volaris flights . laurel
virgin australia and volaris passengers check in at terminal 2 , but flights depart or arrive at terminal b .
search expedia for the very best selection of volaris flights to whatever destination you ' re headed . volaris and expedia have teamed up to provide you with great discount airfares and flexible departure and arrival times to make your trip a truly comfortable , affordable , and memorable experience . fly with volaris today to see the difference .
the first vulcan mind meld between t ' pol and volaris . t ' pol is unfamiliar with it .
volaris continues to look for other niche vfr opportunities in the mexico - us market and is confident in the long term growth prospects in this segment . volaris has identified nearly another 50 potential vfr routes to the us .
the expansion into new segments of the us - mexico market is sensible as it enables volaris to diversify its us operation during a challenging period for its core vfr segment . however , volaris will have to overcome intense competition .
volaris understands that different passengers have different priorities and needs when traveling . consider booking one of the following options :
volaris has even lower costs than u . s . low cost leader spirit . ( photo : spirit airlines )
the airline expects mexico to regain category 2 status late this year or early next year . this would allow volaris to direct some of its 2011 capacity expansion to us markets although in the meantime volaris sees plenty of domestic opportunities .
including this order , the volaris fleet is expected to nearly double from 44 at the end of 2013 to 86 by the end of 2020 . volaris ' fleet plan should also help the company reduce its unit costs even further .
most modern airplane fleet . volaris targets passengers visiting friends and family , price sensitive business travelers , and leisure travelers in
jul 05 , 2018 , 06 : 00 et volaris reports june 2018 traffic results ; passenger growth of . . .
volaris also has the benefit of lower unit costs than any of the us lccs , including ultra low cost operators frontier and spirit . volaris follows an ultra lcc model and has the lowest cask ( or casm ) in the americas .
the expansion in mexico city should improve volaris’ yield in the us market , offsetting yield declines on other us routes .
international operations in november 2008 , volaris announced a codeshare agreement with us - based low - cost carrier southwest airlines .
passengers between the ages of 5 and 11 may only travel alone if the “volaris is with you” service is purchased .
he says volaris expects to secure enough additional slots to operate about 20 daily flights from mexico city during the upcoming peak winter season . the additional slots will allow volaris to add a second frequency on several of its mexico city routes .
clear skies ahead potential volaris investors should remember that the airline industry is risky under any circumstances , and volaris competes in a particularly fast - changing market . on the other hand , the mexican air - travel market is likely to grow by leaps and bounds during the next few decades , and volaris is poised to grab a big chunk of that growth .
cancún international airport ( cun ) . the airport for this focus city of volaris is the second - busiest in mexico .
volaris will be a lot better if it becames an arc participating carrier and elect the general concurrence method of agent appointment .
volaris in recent months has bolstered frequencies on some of its domestic routes and launched seven new routes from mexico city international .
guadalajara , which has 23 routes to the us , will remain volaris’ biggest base in terms of number of routes . however , mexico city will likely overtake guadalajara in terms of capacity . volaris operates approximately 100 weekly departures from guadalajara to the us .
all the additional aircraft coming into the volaris fleet over the next 18 months are a320neos and a321neos , which also provides volaris an opportunity to upgauge several us routes ( as the a319 fleet is reduced ) and launch new , longer range us routes . volaris is now operating us routes of up to five hours ; its longest route , guadalajara - seattle was launched in 2016 .
as it enters us - mexico beach markets volaris is also timing the flights to maximise demand from us origin southbound leisure passengers .
volaris currently flies nonstop from fort lauderdale - hollywood international airport to mexico city and guadalajara , an airport official there confirmed wednesday .
oakland , ca – jan . 29 , 2015 – oakland international airport ( oak ) and volaris airlines have announced the expansion of volaris’ international operations at oak with the addition of new nonstop flights linking oakland with tijuana , mexico beginning march 4 , 2015 .
mexican ultra - low - cost airline volaris made its debut on the new york stock exchange back in september , with the stock closing at $ 14 . 01 after its first day of trading . since then , volaris shares have tumbled about 20 % .
thus , while volaris shares have fallen substantially in the last few months , short - term and long - term trends are both pointing in the company ' s favor . accordingly , volaris is one of my top picks in the airline sector for 2014 .
volaris now has an 18 % share of the domestic market , based on passengers carried in september 2010 , compared to a 13 % share one year ago . aeromexico has a 47 % share followed by interjet with a 21 % share . but blankenstein points out that volaris is significantly larger than interjet on an rpk basis since volaris ' average stage length is about double compared to interjet .
[ … ] and toluca ( mexico city’s secondary airport ) . you might remember back in october when southwest officially launched its partnership with volaris to feed passengers between the two networks . now , volaris is ready to blanket the us with its own [ … ]
holger blankenstein , chief commercial officer of volaris , highlighted the relevance of this kind of recognition as a high achievement :
for volaris this award is more than an indicator to measure operations performance and people ' s perception of the company . it is an incentive that motivates us to continue innovating and keep challenging the aviation standards , while staying true to our vision and mission at volaris
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at the end of the year , southwest and volaris will evaluate the partnership and decide how to expand further . volaris will certainly be looking to see which cities send the most traffic down and that can help the airline pick its next destinations in the us . once volaris has gateways open in other parts of the country , it makes options with southwest easier for people east of the rockies .
and to select us destinations . proudly mexican , volaris is regarded as one of the new leading companies in the country . among other recognitions , volaris has received the prestigious esr award for social corporate responsibility for five consecutive years . for more information , please visit :
based on may - 2017 data from mexico’s dct , volaris captured a 10 % share of passenger traffic between mexico and the us .
volaris is also offering daytime flights from mexico city to the us using slots divested as part of the aeromexico - delta joint venture .
lo que es un hecho es que aunque aún no se ha oficializado , sí van a salir de volaris tanto slim como azcárraga .
mex is the second busiest airport in latin america and is home to aeromexico as well as low - cost carriers interjet and volaris .
and to select us destinations . proudly mexican , volaris is regarded as one of the new leading companies in the country . among other recognitions , volaris has received the prestigious esr award for social corporate responsibility for six consecutive years . for more information , please visit :
volaris is mexico’s largest low cost carrier airline . its first flight took wing in 2006 , under the name of vuela airlines ; since then it has grown to become mexico’s second largest airline . it codeshares with southwest airlines and now owns the subsidiary volaris costa rica .
owns shares of volaris . the motley fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned . try any of our foolish newsletter services
destinations main article : volaris destinations volaris operates scheduled flights to mexico ( 43 ) and elsewhere in the americas ( 22 ) from mexico city international airport in mexico city , guadalajara international airport , in guadalajara , tijuana international airport in tijuana and monterrey international airport in monterrey .
volaris is a valued partner of expedia , and we work together to provide you with all the tools you need to book your next volaris flight . from last - minute flights to flights planned ahead , volaris has a huge inventory of cheap flights to help you save even more . fly with style and comfort with volaris , and rest assured that all your flight needs are taken care of , making your travel experience as good as it can be . all volaris flights offer expansive routes to your destination and provide you with flexible departure and arrival times giving you more selection than ever before . and by booking with expedia , you have access to online tools to help you plan the best trip , from fare alerts , to calendar tools and more ; use these to help book the best volaris flight you can find . if you need additional assistance , expedia customer service representatives are available 24 hours a day to help you with any questions when booking your volaris flights . volaris and expedia are here to ensure you travel with the confidence that you have the best flight at the very best price .
, taxes included , flights are available for booking with volaris ' innovative
tu decides
pay - per - service arrangement , whereby customers select exclusively those services they need for their specific travel needs . booking is available for customers on all volaris sales channels , including online (
south florida travelers seeking similar service from volaris won’t have to go far : the airline launched newly scheduled flights wednesday from miami international airport .
southbound leisure markets are different , and would not work with the normal volaris flight timings . however , volaris is able to adapt its schedule to the market by rotating aircraft so they operate overnight on vfr focused chicago routes , but are operating the new beach routes during the day .
volaris began flying to its first destination in texas , at the time , to san antonio international airport from guadalajara on december 14 , 2013 .
one - way taxes included , flights are available for booking with volaris ' innovative
tu decides
pay - per - service arrangement , whereby customers select exclusively those services they need for their specific travel needs . booking is available for customers on all volaris sales channels , including online (
membership in the urltoken entitles you to volaris’ lowest ( blue ) fares on all flights , a savings of up to 40 % on fares .
first , volaris is returning nearly all of its a319 aircraft in the next five years and replacing them with larger , more efficient models . second , by the end of the decade , more than half of volaris ' fleet will use new engine technology that provides a double - digit reduction in fuel consumption . together , these moves will allow volaris to grow while reducing its cost structure , which should lead to tremendous profit growth .
from mia , volaris is offering daily service to mexico city and four weekly flights to guadalajara using airbus a320 aircraft , airport officials have said . guadalajara will become the miami airport’s sixth destination within mexico , and volaris – its fourth airline to serve mexico and eighth low - cost carrier overall .
los angeles international airport ( lax ) . the airport for this focus city of volaris is the busiest in california and has 9 terminals . volaris flights check in at terminal 2 but will probably fly in and out of the tom bradley international terminal , also known as terminal b or tbit .
volaris has also made plans to expand its fleet with aircraft that will be cheaper to operate than the airbus a319s and a320s it uses today . earlier this week , volaris announced that it had agreed to lease 16 new a320neo and a321neo aircraft , which will be delivered between 2016 and 2018 .
volaris sought permission to fly between dallas / fort worth international airport and mexico city , along with a number of other u . s . - mexico routes . volaris submitted the request on february 3 , 2011 and the u . s . department of transportation granted approval on february 11 . however , volaris did not launch the service until over four years later , on april 29 , 2015 , when it began flights between dfw and guadalajara .
volaris just opened flights from san jose , ca to guadalajara . this is a heavy traffic business route , flown by no - nonsense people . i suggest that volaris should be very careful in mantaining the quality of the service from san jose or they will end up with empty planes very soon .
volaris applied to fly mexicana ' s former portland to guadalajara route . the application was granted and service to portland began on october 6 , 2014 .
volaris began serving mexico international early last year after a change in government policy opened up the slot - controlled airport to new entrants . it was initially limited to operating one daily flight at mexico city from its tijuana base . but after mexicana suspended operations in late august , volaris was given several additional slots at mexico city . blankenstein says volaris is now operating the equivalent of 11 . 5 flights per day from mexico city to nine domestic destinations .
at jfk , volaris has received an afternoon slot pair , which it would not have been able to secure otherwise . volaris ' existing slot pair at jfk is after midnight . at los angeles , the new mexico city flight departs in the early afternoon , complementing a morning departure and a midnight departure .
volaris has been awarded eight daily slot pairs in mexico city overall , with three being used from 2h2017 and five in 2018 . these slots will enable volaris to double its mexico city - us operation from 56 weekly departures on nine routes to 112 weekly departures across 15 routes by the end of 2018 .
note : dcomps includes us network airlines director competitors ( delta , united , american and alaska ) . source : volaris corporate presentation , may - 2017 .
mexican low - cost carrier volaris plans to launch service from miami international airport to mexico city and guadalajara on feb . 1 , airport officials announced wednesday .
if you are flying in one of volaris’ airbus a319s , the seats should come with laptop power . the other aircraft do not yet have laptop power .
volaris as part of its outstanding order book with airbus has four new a319 delivery slots next year . blankenstein says three of these aircraft are now slated to be delivered in june and july , and volaris hopes to take the fourth in november , giving it a fleet of 33 aircraft by the end of 2011 .
mr blankenstein said volaris plans to continue pursuing expansion in the us . however , the company had adjusted its strategy somewhat to focus less on northbound vfr markets .
el problema para volaris es que si la situación de incertidumbre permanece por algún tiempo , pueden perder el terreno ganado , pues inevitablemente va a afectar la operación .
* ( “volaris” or the “company” ) ( nyse : vlrs and bmv : volar ) , is an ultra - low - cost carrier ( ulcc ) , with point - to - point operations , serving mexico , the united states and central america . volaris offers low base fares to build its market , providing quality service and extensive customer choice . since beginning operations in march 2006 , volaris has increased its routes from five to more than 162 and its fleet from four to 69 aircraft . volaris offers more than 332 daily flight segments on routes that connect 40 cities in mexico and 27 cities in the united states and central america with the youngest fleet in mexico . volaris targets passengers who are visiting friends and relatives , cost - conscious business people and leisure travelers in mexico and to select destinations in the united states and central america . volaris has received the esr award for social corporate responsibility for seven consecutive years . for more information , please visit : urltoken
mexican low - cost carrier volaris is planning to further expand its mexico city operation as it takes delivery of six additional airbus a319s over the next few months .
volaris is currently unable to expand its us operation because mexico currently falls under category 2 in the faa ' s international aviation safety assessment ( iasa ) programme .
“volaris has exciting growth plans over the next several years and sabre was the obvious choice for us because of the depth of their industry experience and excellence in delivering their solutions , ” said enrique beltranena , general director of volaris . “sabre is a committed partner that will help us evolve our airline to the next level . ”
this just creates an even better buying opportunity for long - term investors . volaris is one of several airlines making air travel more of a mainstream experience in mexico . volaris ' ultra - low - cost structure , and its steady growth , could make this stock a multi - bagger in the next five to 10 years .
volaris starting 14jul12 is offering twice weekly mexico city – orlando service , on board airbus a320 aircraft . this route will reduce to once a week from sep 2012 .
oh wow . . . i should have read up on this airline before i made the mistake of booking cheap flights for my senior parents with volaris . . .
you may book your volaris flight on the airline website , through the call center , or at the airport . when searching for fares on the volaris website , first you need to select your nationality ( mexican or non - mexican ) and type of payment . then you may select your departure and destination cities and dates of travel in order to search for flights . the volaris website accepts payment by credit card , paypal or safetypay online banking . you may also book your flight online or through the call center , and then make the payment at one of several retail stores in mexico which accept volaris payments , such as oxxo , sears , or sanborns .
volaris began its second destination in florida , fort lauderdale–hollywood international airport from mexico city on december 1 , 2014 and then also from guadalajara on december 4 , 2014 .
volaris began its first non - stop flights to the northeastern united states , when it began service between new york - jfk and guadalajara on july 15 , 2015 .
increasing to 3x / week from december per this article : volaris inaugurates nonstop portland - guadalajara , mexico service urltoken
the volaris service to - and - from portland will run twice a week on mondays and saturdays until december 3 , when it will add service on wednesdays . the carrier said flights are available starting at $ 180 .
during december 2016 , volaris launched one domestic route ( tijuana – toluca ) and two international routes ( denver – monterrey and guatemala – san jose , costa rica ) .
- - volaris is the first mexican airline to receive such recognition . - - the award recognizes the management team who has demonstrated excellence running a low - cost airline .
on february 25 , 2011 , it was announced that volaris would acquire mexicana ' s destination , fresno yosemite international airport and would begin service on april 14 , 2011 . fresno was volaris ' first us destination where it did not partner with southwest airlines . the airline began using guadalajara international airport as an american gateway hub in late 2011 .
volaris on - time rate of 81 % places them in the top 25 % in the world , and is also one of the best among mid - size carriers .
measures as the above help strengthen volaris ' position as the mexican air carrier with the most number of destinations and services to the us . to date , volaris has transported over 7 million customers to and from the us market , a number that continues to grow as a result of more than 230 flights operated by the carrier in september alone .
one option would be to require southwest to start operating its own aircraft on transborder routes once the codeshares with westjet and volaris reach a certain level . but this could require southwest to renegotiate its codeshare deals as volaris ceo enrique beltranena said in november that its codeshare pact with southwest gives it the exclusive right to operate all us - mexico flights .
growth ahead volaris is well - positioned to be one of the leaders as mexico ' s air travel market grows . last week , the company announced that it is opening an operational base in monterrey , which is the wealthiest major city in mexico . as of this spring , volaris will offer flights to 11 other cities in mexico from monterrey .
save time and money when you choose volaris for your flights to mexico city ! check - in up to 72 hours in advance , and only pay for options you choose .
the new southbound us leisure routes should also generate a yield premium compared to volaris’ traditional vfr routes from guadalajara and other points in central mexico , such as guanajuato / león .
i really like flying with volaris , they offer a great service and planes also prices . i have never heard of such a thing but well it was bad luck : (
at fort lauderdale - hollywood , volaris had operated flights four times a week to mexico city and three times weekly to guadalajara , airport spokesman greg meyer said in an email .
volaris then began flights between guadalajara and ontario int ' l airport in ontario , california , a reliever airport in the greater los angeles area , on april 12 , 2014 .
mexicana suspended operations in late august , prompting volaris and other mexican carriers to add capacity in the domestic markets , resulting in a significant improvement in load factors across the mexican industry . in september , the first full month after mexicana ' s collapse , volaris ' domestic passenger traffic was up 29 % versus the year prior to 313 , 000 passengers .
volaris ( y4 , toluca ) has announced that its volaris costa rica ( q6 , san josé juan santamaría ) unit will suspend flights to managua with effect from july 1 onwards . in a statement , the lcc ' s costa rica general manager , fernando naranjo , cited the violent disturbances and political instability that has affected nicaragua in recent days .
unfortunately , market conditions do not allow us to maintain our operations there , so we have , therefore , had to adopt this provision ,
he said . volaris . . .
concesionaria vuela compañía de aviación , s . a . p . i . de c . v . known as volaris is an ultra - low - cost airline , with flights in mexico , united states , guatemala , costa rica and el salvador . volaris offers cheap plane tickets to develop the market , offering customers quality service and a vast choice of products .
the volaris fleet consists of 55 planes in the airbus family , including 18 a319s , 36 a320s and 2 a321s . the airline is expected to acquire several airbus a320neo by 2018 .
volaris chief commercial officer holger blankenstein says the carrier is taking an additional a319 this month and two more a319s next month , giving it a fleet of 24 a319s and two a320s .
volaris was originally planning to end 2011 with 27 aircraft but decided to lease an additional six aircraft to meet growing demand in the domestic market in the aftermath of mexicana suspending operations .
while volaris shares have lost steam in recent months , there haven ' t been any major changes to its business prospects . if anything , it has been caught up in a wave of negative sentiment that has hit emerging market stocks . ( these same market issues caused vivaaerobus - - one of volaris ' top competitors - - to delay its ipo on tuesday . )
mexican low - cost carrier volaris ceased operations at fort lauderdale - hollywood international airport this week a little more than two years after launching nonstop service to mexico city and guadalajara , mexico .
cheap flights for volaris tend to be on wednesdays , when bookings can be made for around 3 % below the carrier ' s average price , which can mean $ 11 in savings .
higher consumer demand in mexico for flights to and through miami was a factor in relocating service from fort lauderdale , miguel aguiñiga , volaris’ director of market development , said in a phone interview wednesday .
volaris in the 3rd quarter of 2016 plans to expand guadalajara – us routes , with the addition of seattle and austin . both destinations will be served 3 times weekly , on board airbus a320 aircraft .
while volaris is focusing mainly on mexico city over the next year , it continues to open niche vfr routes , following its established strategy in the us of finding unserved routes that can be stimulated with low fares and a relatively low amount of capacity . a majority of volaris’ 57 routes to the us are not served by any other airline , and 45 of its us routes are served less than daily .
volaris offers international flights to several destinations in the united states : chicago midway , denver , fresno , las vegas , los angeles , miami , orlando , phoenix , sacramento and san francisco / oakland .
volaris’ continuing expansion at oak brings another new international destination to the san francisco bay area , offering travelers even more access to key cities and businesses in mexico , ” said deborah ale flint , director of aviation for port of oakland . “this expansion of service solidifies oak as volaris’ top gateway in northern california and sets a new high for the number of nonstop destinations served from oakland international airport . ”
taking into consideration both delay frequency and duration as well as on - time performance , volaris earns 3 . 5 out of 5 stars , putting it near the top across all mid - size carriers .
v . club is the name of the volaris loyalty program . it is not earned via miles but through a membership fee . the annual fee is 549 mxn , about $ 28 ( usd ) .
skyscanner allows you to find the cheapest flight prices with volaris and thousands of other airlines without having to enter specific dates or even destinations , making it the best place to find cheap flights for your trip .
based on the study’s projections , the initial six markets that southwest , volaris and vivaaerobus would likely debut from hobby are cancun , mexico city , monterrey , san jose costa rica , san jose del cabo , and san salvador . the estimates show a total of 12 daily flights in those markets from the three carriers , with southwest dominating the schedule . southwest and volaris have a nearly two - year - old partnership that entails passenger transfer connections to five of volaris’ mexican destinations – mexico city , toluca , guadalajara , morelia and zacatecas – from los angeles , chicago midway , and oakland , san diego and san jose , california . the study’s projections show that both volaris and southwest would both operate from houston to mexico city , but the airlines could also elect to have just one carrier operate the route and add houston to their partnership .
. the ultra low cost highly efficient business model offered by volaris provides low base fares to develop its market , coupled with outstanding levels of quality services and a wide array of products . since beginning their operations in
in the summer of 2015 , volaris launched its first ever international flights outside the continental united states ; to guatemala on june 18 , to puerto rico on july 2 , and to costa rica on september 10 .
volaris has confirmed it does not plan to fly to santiago de chile , and rather focus in the us and domestic market , after a local newspaper announced the airline had plans to begin operations in south america .
enrique beltranena , ceo of volaris , upon receiving the award , highlighted the importance of ensuring good performance of all the people that collaborate in aviation companies for the daily operations , in order to provide the market with larger and more efficient services .
in volaris we are very proud to receive this award , which acknowledges the extraordinary effort that our ambassadors do every day : get more people to experience flying to great destinations .
during december and full year 2016 volaris increased total capacity , as measured in available seat miles ( asms ) , by 21 . 6 % and 18 . 9 % year over year , respectively . total demand , as measured in revenue passenger miles ( rpms ) , for december and full year 2016 increased 19 . 5 % and 23 . 9 % year over year , respectively . volaris transported a total of 1 . 5 million passengers during the month of december , an increase of 21 . 3 % year over year . full year 2016 , volaris transported over 15 . 0 million passengers , an increase of 25 . 2 % year over year .
the criteria that led to the recognition of volaris was : its innovative business model , its high growth rates , rigorous cost control , integrity in their production processes , and the processes to increase revenue through auxiliary channels .
volaris , which began operations in march 2006 , serves more than 162 routes across 67 cities in mexico , the u . s . and central america using a fleet of nearly 70 aircraft , according to its website .
volaris flights are delayed 45 % of the time , which is lower than other medium - size carriers . when there is a delay , it averages about 21 minutes , which is about the same as similar carriers .
for spirit , low costs have allowed it to underprice other u . s . airlines , thereby encouraging its customers to travel more often than they would otherwise . volaris ' opportunity is even bigger . mexico still has a huge market for inter - city bus service . volaris , and a few other ultra - low - cost carriers , are finally bringing the cost of air travel within reach for many members of the emerging mexican middle class .
the us accounted for all of volaris’ international growth from 2009 to 2015 . central america has contributed to a relatively small proportion of the growth since 2015 , given the small size of the airline ' s central american operation .
the new tijuana flight joins volaris’ existing services between oak and mexico city , guadalajara , leon and morelia , mexico . it also offers convenient same - carrier “in - country” connections to numerous other destinations throughout mexico via tijuana .
sabresonic css’ advanced technology platform will allow the airline to cultivate its opportunities to interline and codeshare with other airlines . sabre’s sophisticated reservations system will also enhance volaris’ revenue through merchandising , ancillary sales and maximizing the carrier’s branded fares .
all six aircraft are used a319s that are being acquired to supplement the aircraft volaris already has on order with airbus . blankenstein says the three a319s being placed into service in the current quarter were all previously operated in europe .
volaris executives say the carrier may also further accelerate fleet expansion , depending on what happens with mexicana ' s proposed re - launch and category 2 . mexicana is hoping to resume operations next month , focusing on us routes .
volaris costa rica ( q6 , san josé juan santamaría ) commenced revenue operations on wednesday , november 30 , with scheduled double - daily flights between san josé juan santamaría and guatemala city . service is onboard a320 - 200 xa - vlr ( cn 7118 ) wet - leased from mexican parent volaris ( y4 , toluca ) . the lcc is one of three start - up carriers looking to use costa rica as a base . aside from the volaris unit , there is the already certified air costa rica ( ri , san josé juan santamaría ) as well as holiday air ( costa rica ) ( san josé tobías bolaños ) which is currently on phase 4 of its aoc drive .
this may help : after the day’s flights are over friday ( may 12 ) , allegiant , delta , frontier , virgin america , virgin australia , sun country , volaris and boutique will move , with completion on saturday morning .
hola folks ! a few responses to your comments : everyone asking for more volaris transborder service : let ' s get this initial engagement under our belt and then we ' ll start talking expansion ! anonymous @ 17 : 56 : you ' re right - - sorry if i wasn ' t clear . you ' ll be able to purchase volaris ' service from lax , oak , and sjc nonstop to mexico * in addition * to connecting itineraries with southwest - - but no , we ' re not adding any new nonstop service for international connect , either on southwest or volaris . goodnight everyone - - halloween at swa hdq tommorow . you have to see it to believe it !
he adds after the winter peak season volaris may reduce its mexico city operation rather than expand it beyond the expected 20 daily flights .
we don ' t have a major strategy to go into aicm ,
blankenstein says .
volaris is also doubling its mexico city - us operation , which typically attracts a different mix of traffic and generates higher yields , using slots that have been divested by aeromexico and delta air lines as part of their new joint venture .
three of its nine existing mexico city - us routes were launched in 1q2016 – houston , new york jfk and miami . volaris also launched mexico city - san francisco in oct - 2016 . when these four new routes are included , volaris will be more than tripling its mexico city - us operation in just a two - year period ( oct - 2016 to oct - 2018 ) – from 37 weekly departures on five routes to 112 weekly departures across 15 routes .
chairman of the board of directors of controladora vuela compañía de aviación , s . a . b . de c . v . ( volaris ) , and managing partner of acumen empresarial , s . a . de c . v .
to me , this seems simple for the airline for sure , but it’s more complex for the customer . i agree about transparency and that would be just fine with me if they didn’t do a full codeshare , but i would want to see a single ticket where i only had to check in once . whether i’m on volaris flight 123 or southwest flgiht 9123 ( operated by volaris ) , that’s not a concerne and in fact , the former might be better anyway .
the company iae international aero engines ag awarded us with the pure - v designation , for currently using v2500® engines on all our a32ceo planes . volaris is the first mexican airline to operate purepower engines fabricated by pratt & whitney for a320neos .
a few days went by and we had not received an email confirmation , so we called again and first the agent told me that the credit card was declined and there was no reservation . . . what ? i call my credit card company right away and they told me two payments ( of the same price ) were processed for volaris . i then call volaris back with this information and they acknowledge it now but refuse to credit back my card for the extra charge .
when volaris began its new fort lauderdale - to - mexico city route in december 2014 , it was the airport’s first service to the mexican capital since aeromexico ceased service on that route in 2007 . guadalajara however was a totally new destination .
volaris planned to launch service to william p . hobby airport in houston , texas as soon as the new terminal was completed , but the airline chose to begin flying to houston - intercontinental from guadalajara on march 26 , 2015 , instead .
guadalajara international airport ( gdl ) . this airport serves as a hub for volaris and is situated about 10 miles south of downtown guadaljara . it has a single terminal , two runways , and is the third - busiest airport in mexico .
what you’ll see on urltoken will look like a regular fare display and you’ll think you’re buying a single ticket connecting on the two airlines but you’re not . what’s actually happening is that it is just combining the southwest fare with the volaris fare and showing it as one . when you buy a ticket , you’re actually buying two separate tickets between the two airlines . you will get a southwest confirmation number and a volaris confirmation number and you’ll need to check in separately for each .
recent data shows nearly all the domestic traffic previously carried by grupo mexicana , which one year ago had a 30 % share of the market , has already been picked up by aeromexico , volaris , interjet and low - cost carrier vivaaerobus .
volaris launched nine routes to the us in 1h2017 and plans to launch at least four more us routes in 2h2017 . the company is also already committed to launching another five us routes in 2018 – extending its us operation to more than 60 routes .
volaris filed its annual report under the form 20 - f for the fiscal year ended december 31 , 2015 with the u . s . securities and exchange commission ( the “sec” ) on april 29 , 2016 . a copy of the report can be accessed by visiting the sec’s website at urltoken and is also available at the website urltoken . shareholders may request a hard copy of the audited financial statements included in such report free of charge by contacting volaris investor relations at the email address specified below .
volaris offers shuttle service at a few of their destinations . the service is available between cancun airport and the hotel zone , cancun town , and playa del carmen . in puebla shuttle service is offered between the airport , the capu bus station , and the estrella roja bus terminal in downtown puebla . in tijuana shuttle service is available between the airport and san diego , and also ensenada . you may purchase the shuttle service in advance on the volaris website , or at the airport or bus station .
however , volaris has been impacted by the change of administration in the us , as demand has been impacted in the segment of the market that has always been its focus – the airline mainly carries ethnic or visiting friends and relatives ( vfr ) traffic .
volaris will add at least one more niche vfr route in 2h2017 with the launch of two weekly flights from guanajuato / león to san bernardino in southern california . san bernardino does not currently have any schedule services – not even from a us domestic airline .
full year 2016 , volaris increased domestic and international asms by 17 . 8 % and 21 . 4 % , respectively . network load factor for the year 2016 reached 85 . 8 % , an increase of 3 . 5 percentage points year over year .
you ' ll be able to book starting november 12 , but you may have to look at flying from phl to one of the west coast cities listed here to continue on to mexico on volaris . check it out on urltoken on november 12 ! laurel
in addition to chicago ( by united and now volaris ) there are seasonal flights to dallas and phoenix by american , and to minneapolis by delta and sun country . there are also limited seasonal flights to several canadian destinations by air canada , sunwing and westjet .
mexico city - - ( business wire ) - - volaris * ( nyse : vlrs and bmv : volar ) , the ultra - low - cost airline serving mexico , the united states and central america , reports december and full year 2016 preliminary traffic results .
volaris operations and development are based on three pillars : safety , customer service and a low cost business model . these are the foundations of a solid structure that fulfill the purpose of bringing together family and friends , while offering the lowest rates in the market .
still , he said the two years spent in fort lauderdale resulted in “a very decent operations . ” he noted that volaris’ presence at fort lauderdale helped to spread awareness in south florida about the low - cost carrier , and expects the miami routes to benefit .
trump’s controversial policies and views have impacted the northbound vfr segment of the mexico - us market as mexicans have been more reluctant to travel to the us for holiday or family visits . volaris cited “a challenging market and geopolitical environment” in reporting a mxp772 ( usd38 million ) operating loss in 1q2017 . it marked volaris’ first quarter loss operating loss since 2q2014 and was in contrast to an operating profit of mxp836 million ( usd46 million ) in 1q2016 . the lcc will be releasing its results for 2q2017 on 21 - jul - 2017 .
the d / fw - guadalajara route is suddenly becoming very popular . last friday , mexican carrier vivaaerobus announced plans to fly to three cities from dallas / fort worth international airport , including a dfw - guadalajara route that would begin in late march . on thursday , a mexican competitor , volaris , filed an application with the u . s . department of transportation for permission to fly the same dfw - guadalajara route . ( greg of urltoken clued me in on the application . ) in its brief application , volaris gave no start time for its service , other than that it “plans to commence scheduled service on this route shortly after approval of this application . ” these applications tend to get approved pretty quickly . vivaaerobus filed its application for the right to fly to guadalajara , monterrey , cancun and cabo san lucas on sept . 11 , and got dot approval on sept . 18 . volaris , which began flying in march 2006 , is a low - fare carrier that flies airbus a319s and a320s . it is based in toluca , a central mexican city west of mexico city . when volaris and vivaaerobus begin the route , they’ll find competition from american airlines and partner envoy air , which collectively operate three daily flights with 330 seats in each direction . vivaaerobus plans three flights a week , while volaris didn’t specify its frequency .
in addition to sabresonic css , volaris has also selected sabresonic web to power its website with new services and capabilities that will help customers maximize the online channel . the carrier will also use sabre airvision revenue manager to maximize revenue opportunities with automated tools and decision support .


air pollution in mexico city is a continuing concern for citizens , health experts , and environmentalists .

the air pollution of the mexico city metropolitan area , contained within the valley of mexico , is measured by the índice metropolitano de la calidad del aire ( metropolitan index of air quality ) .

air pollution in mexico city

although this is a horrible problem in the rest of the world , mexico city has arguably the worst air pollution problem in the world .
it has been known for many years that the air pollution in mexico city is much worse than that found in similar sized cities in other developing nations .
but this analysis looking at pollution measurements in a city with serious air quality problems , found no discernible effect .
authorities will plant 18 million trees in mexico city and its surrounding suburbs as part of efforts to combat air pollution , the government said .
europe trails u . s . in cutting air pollution , w . h . o . says
smog over mexico city : bad air quality has led to limits on when people can drive their cars in the city .
more cars were ordered off mexico city ' s streets on wednesday after a surge in pollution prompted authorities to issue the first air quality alert in 14 years .
aqi : good ( 0 - 50 ) air quality is considered satisfactory , and air pollution poses little or no risk .
in 1992 , the united nations called mexico city’s air quality the planet’s worst . today , the air quality in mexico city now resembles that in los angeles : not wonderful , but not catastrophic . ned brown / harvard staff
waiting for public transportation in mexico city . some commutes can last for hours in the sprawling city .
officials recommended that residents stay indoors and limit outdoor exercise while the air pollution alert is in effect .
older and more heavily polluting vehicles were required to stay off the road in mexico city on tuesday in an attempt to improve air quality after the government declared an air pollution alert on monday , its first in 11 years .
a vertical garden at the restaurant padrinos in mexico city is part of a wider effort to improve the city’s notoriously bad air .
banning cars on saturdays in mexico city hasn ' t reduced air pollutants , according to a new study .
tanya müller garcía , minister of the environment for mexico city , show her office displays that track air pollution in real time . she also show a smartphone app created by the city that lets the public monitor the city ' s air and receive alerts about traffic restrictions and whether to curtail outdoor activities because of air pollution .
air pollution hangs over mexico city , tuesday , may 3 , 2016 . mexico city authorities have declared a new pollution alert and will require 40 percent of cars to keep off the streets . ( ap photo / eduardo verdugo )
the people of mexico city are living in a city where the air quality is considered satisfactory less than 30 days a year ( mexico business monthly online ) .
using current diesel fuel technology in conjunction with catalyst systems recently developed in germany is another effective means of lowering air pollution .
back in 1992 , the un declared mexico city the world ' s most polluted city .
one of the reasons behind the pollution in mexico city is that the city rests in 70 mile - wide basin ringed by mountains ( guggenheim online ) .
mexico city — back in the late 1980s , the air got so dirty in mexico city that birds would emit a final chirp before they tumbled from the trees onto the sidewalk , their small , still bodies a sad testament to some of the world’s worst air pollution .
mr . uriostegui might not be far from the truth , the average life expectancy in mexico city is reduced between 5 and 10 % by the air pollution ( mexico business monthly online ) .
the poverty stricken residents of this city are stuck living in a city where their health is constantly in danger due to the pollutants in the air .
you need to be aware that the worst time of the year for air pollution in mexico city is near the end of the winter months ( particularly february and march ) . however , air pollution concentrations are always high from 6am to 9am , which of course corresponds with peak hour traffic . high concentrations of air pollution in mexico city also occurs on days when the there ' s little wind to disperse the pollutants beyond the cities boundaries .
air quality in mexico city today is generally far better than much of china , india and other parts of asia . for example , while the alert was still in place on thursday , mexico city recorded a pollution index of about 150 while levels were topping 400 in beijing , according to the world air quality index , which tracks air quality around the globe .
the air pollution in mexico city is compounded by the fact that this city is located within the tropics . you can expect a lot of intense sunshine all year round , ( more so in the winter months ) .
new technologies currently being developed could bring affordable , zero - emission vehicles to mexico in as soon as five years , allowing mexico city to have a sizeable decrease in pollution .
an unusual level of air pollution blanketed mexico city for nearly six weeks in april and may , before rains eased the smog . ( yuri cortez / afp / getty images )
nezahualcoyotl , located in the northeast corner of mexico city’s metropolitan area , is a section of the city that exemplifies what is currently going on throughout mexico city .
while most of the emergencies in mexico city have been called because of the ozone layer , recently mexico city has encountered a new problem .
the same traffic contributes to air pollution . ( “i am surrounded by city , ” paz wrote plaintively in another poem . “i lack air . ” ) in 1992 , the united nations called mexico city’s air quality the planet’s worst , so bad that flying birds , overwhelmed , would fall dead from the sky . by 1998 , the u . n . called mexico city the world’s most dangerous city for children’s health .
rush - hour traffic on the circuito interior , a freeway in mexico city .
“cars in garages , kids indoors , mexico city copes with smog emergency . ”
a blanket of smog covering mexico city in 2010 ( image by usfirstgov ) .
mexico city officials issued a new air pollution alert , meaning that 40 percent of vehicles will be banned on tuesday , while industries will be required to cut emissions .
a woman wears a protective mask in mexico city on may 5 , 2016 , a day when the city government imposed traffic restrictions to support anti - pollution measures .
view of mexico city amid smog on dec . 26 , 2015 . mexico city is considered one of the most polluted cities in the world .
to the south , mexico city ' s air quality index was 93 , also considered moderately healthy . los angeles also had moderate air , with an aqi of 61 .
as an interesting sideline , a number of scientific studies have shown that the local residents have lost their sense of smell due to mexico city ' s reoccurring air pollution problems .
the environmental authorities in mexico city will keep 40 percent of cars off the roads on wednesday because of extremely high pollution levels , officials said .
air quality is acceptable ; however , for some pollutants there may be a moderate health concern for a very small number of people who are unusually sensitive to air pollution .
the city ' s air quality was downgraded tuesday evening to unhealthy for sensitive groups .
derek elsom says that in mexico city breathing the air is “the equivalent of inhaling pollutants from 40 cigarettes a day” ( the futurist online ) .
the air has reached a high level of pollution . higher than the maximum limit for 24 hours established by who .
mexico city ( ap ) — mexico city is ordering 40 percent of cars and trucks to stay off the streets thursday , extending for a third day a traffic cutback aimed at lessening pollution .
for more than a month , mexico ' s capital had been in the grip of a prolonged stretch of unseasonable heat , sparse winds — and some of the worst air pollution the city has seen in more than a decade .
with mexico being an industrializing nation it may take aid from other countries to help the fight against air pollution , but there is no time to wait .
since pollution was increasing , mexico city officials were forced to come up with a new system , and this is what they have in place now .
while these solutions deal mostly with the private sector , a major source of mexico city’s pollution is also caused by public transportation .
mexican officials lifted a four - day air pollution alert in the nation ' s densely - populated capital after ozone levels dropped to acceptable levels .
problematic housing , snarled traffic , and stubborn air pollution are three of the most prominent challenges in greater mexico city , which is the largest metropolitan area in the western hemisphere and the fifth - largest in the world . they are the same problems that threaten to overwhelm megacities worldwide . and they are problems that harvard has a hand in studying and mitigating in mexico city .
in fact , air pollution in mexico city is much lower in the mid - afternoon than any other part of the day . the main reason is due to the fact that there ' s enough wind in the afternoon to blow the majority of the pollutants out of the area .
mexico city has the worst air quality in the western hemisphere with particulate levels that are three to four times higher than in new york , los angeles , são paulo , or buenos aires , the paper states . mexico city has tried many different approaches to improving air quality , including the city ' s well known driving restrictions , which were first introduced in 1989 .
this report examines air pollution mitigation strategies in mexico city . it identifies a series of measures that can strengthen current approaches to air pollution mitigation adopted in mexico ' s capital as well as nationally . recommendation include actions in policy areas such as emissions standards and testing , incentives for cleaner vehicles , fuel quality , inspection and maintenance , restrictions on vehicle use , parking regulation and speed limits , air quality plans , enhancement and promotion of sustainable transport modes as well as improving enforcement and public communication .
lamentably , the quality of air in the metropolitan zone , particularly in the valley of mexico , has been deteriorating notably in recent months [ and ] in recent years ,
he said at a public forum in march , referring to the vast area that includes mexico city and environs .
in other words , standards have tightened . pollution alarms go off sooner here now than they used to , so what’s considered a bad air day now isn’t necessarily the same as a bad air day years ago .
so far , there has been much discussion on what can be done to thwart air pollution in mexico city . however , any proposed solution will fall short unless the more systemic issue of institutional corruption is not directly addressed .
the most severe problem is the older cars driven by the citizens , because most air pollution is not caused by public transportation .
because the public transportation in mexico city is so bad , the residents also own 3 . 5 million vehicles ( mexico business monthly ) , and this is the where most of the pollution comes from .
smog blankets scyscrapers along paseo de la reforma in mexico city , thursday , march 17 , 2016 .
decades ago mexico city ' s air pollution was so poor , birds would fall out of the sky—dead . locals said living there was like smoking two packs of cigarettes a day , according to one report . in response , mexico city took several steps to try to improve air quality including restricting driving one or two days during the weekdays . the program has had negligible results .
according to one study , being in mexico city during days of “bad” pollution , of which there were 212 in 2016 , is the equivalent of smoking 40 cigarettes per day ; more than 9000 people are estimated to die prematurely each year in the capital region due to these high pollution levels .
file - in this march 18 , 2016 , file photo , view shows mexico city covered in smog a day after a pollution alert was lifted . mexico city authorities have declared a pollution alert on monday , may 2 , 2016 , after smog rose to 1½ times acceptable limits for second time in less than a month . ( ap photo / rebecca blackwell , file )
however , while these air quality management programmes have contributed to significant reductions in hazardous emissions to the atmosphere , the fact remains that there ' s still serious air pollution issues in mexico city that have not been addressed . for example , there appears to be no reduction in the level of black carbon being emitted to the atmosphere , which is certainly a concern .
one reason why the government has not fully dealt with the issue of pollution is that there are many other problems for the residents of mexico city .
the international air pollution focus gradually shifted to such unfortunate capitals as beijing , new delhi and tehran . many experts held up mexico city as a success story , a model for other developing nations coping with toxic atmospheres .
cold air frequently causes thermal inversions , trapping warmer polluted air in the bowl - shaped valley that is home to about 18 million people ( houston chronicle online ) .
more information : lucas w . davis . saturday driving restrictions fail to improve air quality in mexico city , scientific reports ( 2017 ) . doi : 10 . 1038 / srep41652
the eco - sculptures were installed across mexico city by a nonprofit called verdmx .
many of the residents of mexico city constantly are battling some type of ailment .
natural gas is definitely not the only solution to the problem confronting mexico city .
the emergency measures are in effect until june , when the arrival of the rainy season tends to cleanse the city ' s air .
aqi : moderate ( 51 - 100 ) air quality is acceptable ; however , for some pollutants there may be a moderate health concern for a very small number of people who are unusually sensitive to air pollution .
it has been two decades since mexico city first recognized its critical pollution problem , and the government has made some efforts to deal with a the situation .
ozone levels above 100 are considered dangerous , and mexico city goes over 200 on the city pollution scale quite often , and will be over 100 for weeks at a time ( guggenheim ) .
authorities declared the city ' s first phase 1 pollution alert since 2005 on monday due to high ozone levels blamed on a thermal inversion , which traps airborne contaminants from releasing upward into the atmosphere . mexico city typically sees its worst air smog during the winter - spring dry season when warm , still air settles in the high - altitude basin ringed by volcanic mountains .
city officials acknowledge that they’re having trouble keeping up with the air pollution problem . but they also say it needs to be put in context . “for example , china , there’s a huge difference between 100 parts per billion of ozone [ in mexico city ] and 350 or 400 [ in china ] , ” says tanya müller garcía , mexico city’s environment minister . she says mexico city is doing better than many of the world’s megacities , and points out an important difference here from years past . “we’ve strengthened the levels at which we say we have bad air quality , ” she says .
before the wildfire smoke rolled in , portland ' s air quality index was projected to be 50 .
hopefully , someday in the future the 18 , 000 , 000 residents of mexico city will be able to live in a city that mexican writer carlos fuentes once baptized as “the clearest region” ( mexico business monthly online ) .
mexico city - - choking smog returned to the skies of mexico city this week at levels not seen in more than a decade , prompting fears of more eye - watering days to come as efforts to curb pollution run afoul of the courts and the realities of life .
in the 1980s , the air was so famously foul that stricken birds were reported to have tumbled from the sky in mid - flight , as the toxic brew contributed to elevated mortality among humans . the united nations labeled mexico city the world ' s most polluted city in 1992 .
with technology such as this there is certainly hope for the future of mexico city .
thanks to stringent regulatory reform in the last two decades , the situation has dramatically improved . air quality in mexico city now resembles that in los angeles : not wonderful , but not catastrophic . new laws have reduced the city’s once prodigiously dirty industrial footprint , which had included lead smelters .
for beijingers , london’s history offers an example of a successful fight against air pollution . but on a trip to the uk capital , chinese journalist feng jie found a city still battling its demons
but the bigger problem with mexico city’s pollution control efforts lies with governmental institutions and how private interests can successfully subvert the intention of environmental rules like hoy no circula .
there are programs being implemented right now that make it look as though mexico city is headed in the right direction .
last year , the harvard t . h . chan school of public health ( hsph ) started work on the mexico city - harvard alliance for air quality and health . the five - year , bi - national collaboration will study how well two decades of air quality regulation in mexico have improved health and economic outcomes .
you have to go more directly after pollution ,
says dr davis .
years of careless pollution have caused neahualcoyotl to become a dangerous place to live .
trying to figure out why pollution did not decrease , davis next examined ridership data from mexico city ' s public transportation systems . from city buses , to light rail , to electric buses , he found no discernible increase in saturday riders .
many cities in emerging economies are now putting driving restrictions similar to mexico in place to curb the growing problem of dirty air . so are there lessons in the mexican experience that will make the imposition of driving schemes more effective in other growing cities ?
that destiny includes volcanic mountains , which make the mile - high city dramatically beautiful , but also create air inversions that cloak it in trapped pollutants .
“both l . a . and mexico city have improved but in mexico city , the change has been a lot more , ” said luisa molina , a research scientist with the massachusetts institute of technology , who has done extensive pollution comparisons . mexico “is very advanced not just in terms of latin america , but around the world . when i go to china , they all want to hear the story of mexico . ”
long - term exposure to small particles can make asthma worse , hurt kids’ cognitive and emotional development , even cause premature death . but grutter also says mexico city’s new air pollution crisis has an upside . he has noticed that public consciousness is up .
barfoot km , vargas - aburto c , macarthur jd , jaidar a , garcia - santibanez f and fuentes - gea v . multi - elemental measurements of air particulate pollution at a site in mexico city . atmospheric environment . 1984 ; 18 ( 2 ) : 467 - 471 .
international officials say steady improvement of mexico city ' s air could bolster president felipe calderã³n ' s bid for a leadership role among developing countries seeking to address global warming .
although this is an exaggeration , a lack of environmental awareness is evident in the actions of many citizens of mexico city .
although the government is making some efforts to bring about change in mexico city , much more needs to be done immediately .
from these illustrations if the air pollution problem in mexico it is clear that the problem does exist and is fairly severe . and while anyone can identify the problem the real test comes in attempting to figure out what to do about it . mexico has implemented a number of different laws and regulations only to see them be ineffective because they don’t directly address the issue . if anything is be truly accomplished , the international community must come to a consensus on how to directly approach the problem of pollution , and specifically air pollution in mexico . any animosity between developing and developed countries must be put aside as these two parties come together and attack the issue of pollution . because until that is done , and an effective strategy is implemented , the people of the world , especially mexico city , will not live a healthy life .
in order for you avoid the majority of the smog in mexico city , it ' s wise to travel outside the peak hour traffic times during weekdays .
for that reason , mexico city receives high levels of ozone and various other types of photochemical smog . a large proportion of the ozone air pollution in mexico city is formed when nitrogen oxide ( no x ) , carbon monoxide ( co ) and volatile organic compounds ( vocs ) react with the intense sunlight . but as soon as the sunsets , surface ozone levels decrease rapidly .
red alerts , curfews and health crises resulting from air too hazardous to breathe – for those who lived in mexico city in the 80s and 90s , its recent pollution problems are all too familiar . back then , lead , ozone , carbon and sulphur were so rife in the atmosphere that residents claimed they were causing birds to fall out of the sky .
davis argues that as uber and other taxi - like services become increasingly available , driving restriction policies will continue to struggle to improve air quality . instead , he suggests that mexico city and other cities plagued by dangerous pollution need to require stricter vehicle emission tests .
madrid on thursday lifted an unprecedented ban on half of most private cars as pollution in the spanish capital eased up .
that’s partly because we’ve learned a lot since the 80s about how air pollution can harm people . someone who thinks about this — and studies what exactly fills the air here — is michel grutter de la mora . he runs a large monitoring station in the southern part of the city , located at the center of atmospheric studies , part of the national autonomous university of mexico .
finally , there are places in mexico city that even pipas can’t reach , where the precariousness of the entire water system , and by extension the whole city , is epitomized in a few scruffy acres .
there are many companies ready to step in and provide mexico with natural gas vehicles .
despite the attempts of the government to take steps to improve the situation in mexico city , much more needs to be done .
mexico city has long been identified with some of the planet ' s vilest air pollution , a noxious , sun - irradiated fusion of vehicular and industrial fumes trapped in the high - altitude valley where the sprawling urban expanse sits . thermal inversions linked to meteorological conditions in the dry months have threatened residents ' health and dampened moods .
a rating higher than 200 is considered
very unhealthy .
aqi measures how many particles are in the air .
blake dr and rowland sf . urban leakage of liquefied petroleum gas and its impact on mexico city air quality . science . 1995 ; 269 ( 5226 ) : 953 - 956 .
mexico city residents and relevant government authorities face a looming question in light of recent events : are initiatives to have fewer cars on the roads sufficient to combat air pollution ? it certainly appears that they are not . for real change to happen , the enactment of public policy must come hand in hand with measures to eliminate institutional corruption .
this will be quite a costly program , but will be worth the money if the groundwork is set for changes in the current methods of transportation in mexico city .
“hundreds of millions of people live in cities where air pollution is so severe that hundred thousands die prematurely every year and many tens of thousands become acutely or chronically ill , ” ( the futurist online ) .
overseeing the city’s water supply is a thin , patient man with the war - weary air of an old general : ramón aguirre díaz , director of the water system of mexico city , is unusually frank about the perils ahead .
smoking 40 cigarettes a day is ridiculous for any person , and in mexico city this problem attacks everyone from infants to the elderly .
individuals present in the mexico city region are advised to adhere to all local legislation and to limit outdoor activities until the situation normalizes .
“we saw birds that suddenly fell down . they fell out of the sky and they were dead , ” says gabriela alarcón , who researches pollution at the mexican institute for competitiveness , a think - tank in mexico city .
environmental factors like pollution cause a quarter of deaths , w . h . o . says
the mexican government has many problems to deal with and pollution is just one of them .
mexico ' s capital used to be the most polluted city in the world . pierre - marc rené explains how it turned its fortune around
authorities in mexico city say vehicles are responsible for 87 percent of nitrogen oxide emissions , a precursor to ozone , the most problematic contaminant .
“people in this city would rather drive than breathe , ” says alejandro encinas , the city’s environment secretary ( preston online ) .
as arnoldo kramer , mexico city’s chief resilience officer , put it : “climate change has become the biggest long - term threat to this city’s future . and that’s because it is linked to water , health , air pollution , traffic disruption from floods , housing vulnerability to landslides — which means we can’t begin to address any of the city’s real problems without facing the climate issue . ”
an alert for high levels of air pollution ( ozone ) , the
phase 1 contingency plan ,
has been extended in mexico city and the surrounding region ( zona metropolitana del valle de méxico ) through at least wednesday , may 24 . the measure had been in place may 16 - 21 before being briefly lifted on may 22 and reinstated may 23 .
the “clean air mexico city program” will be implemented some time this year , and will call for the purchase of 290 natural gas and hybrid engine buses and the construction of five natural gas stations .
massive growth in the use of cars coupled with a geographic location that trapped a toxic blanket of dirty air over the city saw tens of thousands of people hospitalised every year .
the government is trying to meet this skepticism with programs designed to curtail pollution to some extent .
almost two decades later now , in march 2016 , mexico city’s dirección de monitoreo atmosférico reported that ozone pollution has reached alarming levels , which has renewed mexican authorities’ desperate search for a solution to an impending and human - made environmental crisis .
while in mexico city , paul howard , ballard’s vice president of transportation systems , demonstrated just how clean the exhaust from a ballard bus is .
but the culprit was unclear . was it the flu or the air ? if it was the air , she says , she wants more done about it , not just some cars taken off the streets until the rainy season comes and the air gets better — for a while .
when the program was originally put into place , people were allowed to drive based on the last number on their license plates , but the government had to change this system because the amount of pollution in the air actually increased .
the programme , known as hoy no circula , has been hugely successful in terms of compliance and has seen some improvements in air quality with mexico no longer ranked as the most polluted city , having been overtaken on that dubious honour list by the likes of beijing and delhi .
what’s happening ? air quality has generally improved in mexico’s capital over the last 20 years or so . back then , locals used to say that living here was like smoking two packs of cigarettes a day . memories are also fresh from the 1980s , when the air was particularly bad .
mexico city is one of the largest cities in the world with a population close to twenty million people . the majority of the population is exposed daily to fumes produced by 3 . 6 million vehicles . this , of course , means that many roads throughout mexico city are highly congested . in addition to this , many vehicle owners fill up their vehicles with poor quality fuel . these vehicle fumes coupled with other air pollution sources are responsible for many residents suffering from severe respiratory health problems .
mexico city — “we must cultivate our garden , ” voltaire famously wrote at the end of “candide , ” but even he could not have imagined this : a towering arch of 50 , 000 plants rising over a traffic - clogged avenue in a metropolis once called “mexsicko city” because of its pollution .
mexico city — in a poem , octavio paz called the vast , colorful , ever - expanding metropolis of his birth “a paradise of cages . ”
mexican officials have attacked the root causes of pollution that plagues many large urban centers with spiraling growth .
what accounts for the backsliding ? a central reason is that pollution simply dropped off the public’s radar .
since december of 1998 , the city government has twice declared pollution emergencies in which , for the first time the chief cause was not ozone but dismal clouds of particles ( preston online ) .
the program quickly produced a counterproductive outcome . indeed , as a workaround to hoy no circula , residents began to purchase multiple older cars rather than one environmentally friendly vehicle , only worsening mexico city’s air pollutant levels .
in 1992 , the united nations declared mexico city the most polluted on the planet . high ozone levels were thought to cause 1 , 000 deaths and 35 , 000 hospitalizations a year . thermal inversions held a toxic blanket of dirty air over a grimy city that seemed to embody the apocalyptic
makesicko city
of the fiction of mexican author carlos fuentes .
there might be reason for some hope for the future of public transportation in mexico city , but for now there remains thousands of driver - owned minibuses .
for two days last week , portland ' s air quality was classified as unhealthy for everyone due to smoke from more than 100 wildfires in british columbia being blown south to the rose city .
mexico city sits in a high mountain valley , where the surrounding mountains can trap pollutants and prevent them from dispersing . the city is 7 , 350 feet ( 2 , 240 meters ) above sea level .
portland , ore . – the city ' s air quality was downgraded from moderate to unhealthy for all tuesday evening and remained unhealthy for sensitive groups wednesday .
you can also expect that the air pollution in mexico city will be quite low during public holidays . obviously , since there ' s much less vehicle traffic on the roads and many industries are closed during this period , you can expect that smog levels due to vehicle and industrial fumes will be markedly lower than on a weekday when there ' s no public holiday .
according to derek elsom , professor of climatology at london’s oxford brookes university , pollution is a terrible problem .
“just because there’s pollution we’re not going to stop practicing sports , ” he said ( guggenheim online ) .
due to these high levels of air pollution , intensified driving restrictions are in place in mexico city for may 24 . all foreign - registered vehicles or vehicles without pollution rating stickers are banned from the roads from 05 : 00 until 11 : 00 ( local time ) ; vehicles with level “1” stickers and license plates ending in 0 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 6 , or 8 as well as all vehicles with level “2” stickers are banned from the roads between 05 : 00 and 22 : 00 . these intensified driving restrictions are in addition to rotating driving restrictions permanently in place ( the hoy no circula program ) in the region and could be extended or intensified in the coming days should the situation worsen .
many cities have green reputations — portland , ore . , even has its own vertical gardens . but in the developing world , where middle classes are growing along with consumption , waste and energy use , mexico city is a brave new world . the laughingstock has become the leader as the air has gone from legendarily bad to much improved . ozone levels and other pollution measures now place it on roughly the same level as the ( also cleaner ) air above los angeles .
one way the mexican government has dealt with this seemingly insurmountable problem is a system that only allows certain cars on the road on certain days in mexico city .
naomi campbell wows in feathered gown . . . while ashley graham sizzles in plunging lace dress as they walk in dolce & gabbana ' s alta moda show in italy
the potential payoff for such efforts is now in sight : mexico city does not even rank among the top 10 polluted cities worldwide , said walter vergara , a leader of the climate - change team at the world bank , which is aiding public transportation projects in mexico .
not all of the people in the city are aware of just how dangerous their predicament is .
although the residents know that such claims are false , they are still confused about how to react when there is a strange smell in the air .
many young people had never confronted full - blast mexico city smog . some had consigned the experience to a distant past .
solutions might also inconvenience some of the residents of mexico city , but something has to be done about this situation immediately .
public officials have encouraged citizens of mexico city to take public transportation , but bus operators have resisted regulations on diesel buses .
public transport in mexico city is inexpensive the author says , but often overcrowded . he also believes there are cultural factors behind the reluctance to give up the car .
one factory owner denied the presence of pollution , calling the public reaction “purely psychological” ( reuter wire online ) .
the city authorities implemented an emergency action plan to revolutionise the city ' s transportation system with some miraculous results .
the wildfires have caused air quality around seattle to deteriorate to “among the worst in the country , ” state officials told kgw ' s sister station king5 .
the mexico city journal article on april 10 , about a towering vertical garden , one of three eco - sculptures installed across the city to be both art and oxygenator , misstated the role of carbon dioxide in urban pollution . ground - level ozone forms from the interaction , in the presence of sunlight , of nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds ; it does not form from carbon dioxide .
the city has grown at a tremendous rate with overcrowding , congested streets , and factories causing large amounts of pollution , that is not able to escape out of the valley .
to determine the impact of saturday restrictions , davis analyzed hourly air pollution data from 29 monitoring stations around mexico city from 2005 to 2012 . he studied emission levels for carbon monoxide ; nitric oxide ; nitrogen dioxide ; nitrogen oxide ; ozone ; large particulates ; small particulates ; and sulfur dioxide . none of these pollutants decreased as a result of saturday driving restrictions .
“about 70 percent of all car pollution is caused by pre - 1985 vehicles , ” explains carlos gelista , director of public relations and government affairs at gm de mexico ( garza online ) .
the study ,
saturday driving restrictions fail to improve air quality in mexico city ,
published today in scientific reports , is the first to examine the effects of restricted driving on saturdays . it compares pollution levels of eight major pollutants before and after the program went into effect . having fewer motorists on the road on saturdays led to close to zero impact . proponents of the saturday program had estimated vehicle emissions would be reduced by 15 % or more .
at one point on monday , the pollution index edged past 200 - double the level considered acceptable but far short of the record of 398 set in march 1992 .
the mexico city metropolitan cathedral was built by the spaniards over the ruins of the main aztec temple . credit : jeff kramer / wikipedia
ozone levels in the city reached nearly twice the acceptable limit , the associated press reported on monday night .
“with climate change , the situation will only get much worse , ” she said . a warming climate will only increase the city’s problems with pollution , specifically ozone . heat waves mean health crises and rising costs for health care in a city where air - conditioning is not commonplace in poor neighborhoods . she seconded what mr . aguirre had said about the threat of drought . “yes , ” she said , “if there is drought we are not prepared . ”
mexico city - - this megalopolis once had the world ' s worst air , with skies so poisonous that birds dropped dead in flight . today , efforts to clean the smog are showing visible progress , revealing stunning views of snow - capped volcanoes - - and offering a model for the developing world .
but the capital ' s upbeat eco - storyline has stalled . in mid - march , authorities declared the first air pollution warning since 2005 and pronounced an environmental emergency . the pressing culprit was ozone , a key component of smog , but officials also cited high readings of other toxic substances .
it is unclear if the government and pemex will pay the money to implement programs that would bring more desirable public transportation into mexico city .
with all of this filth , the people in nezahualcoyotl are living in a very scary situation .
mexico city’s mayor , miguel ángel mancera , said old regulations have inhibited the construction of low - income housing inside the city’s limits . “the people who want to live here cannot , ” he said in an interview . “the city has to become more compact so that people do not make these crazy trips . ”
you can be sure that when you breathe in the air at mexico city , you ' re in fact inhaling a sizeable proportion of these soot particles as well . soot particles are also known to aggravate your eyes , throat and worse still can become dislodged in your lungs . unfortunately , given the tiny size of the soot particles , no coughing or sneezing will expel this particulate matter from your respiratory system .
that ' s how it has been lately , ever since the city government rang the alarm bells over its air pollution , as it surpassed the recommended ozone limits set by the world health organization . it was the first time such alarms went off in more than a decade . the city banned cars , old and new , from roads once a week , along with other measures that will continue until june and perhaps longer .
verdmx’s giant green sculptures — which are part of a broader vertical and roof garden movement — fit right in . in the normal day - to - day commute , however , the gardens show how far mexico city still has to go .
suddenly , talk of pollution is everywhere . radio reports give hourly updates as ozone levels climb each afternoon , noting how close the city is to another emergency . newspapers plaster their front pages with photographs of vast urban landscapes shrouded in a gray - yellow murk . on twitter , drivers post photographs of vehicles coughing filthy fumes . a longtime laissez - faire approach to outdoor activities has given way to anxious checks of the city’s pollution map .
the metropolitan area ( 41 municipalities outside the d . f . in the states of mexico and hidalgo ) is in the valley of mexico . it constitutes the heart of a nation where “geography has been destiny , ” said jose castillo , m . arch . ’95 , d . des . ’00 . castillo is a mexico city architect and a lecturer at harvard’s graduate school of design ( gsd ) .
leonardo martínez flores , an urban planning expert who coordinated the area’s 2011 - 20 regional air plan , said the problem was about much more than housing : the entire city must be reconceived .
in a recent report , the national autonomous university of mexico ' s center for sciences of the atmosphere cited
the decisions affecting the disorderly growth of the city , the lack of investment and planning in public transport , among other factors .
one day last fall , mexico city urban planner laura janka , m . a . u . d . ’11 , peered at her native city through a chain - link fence atop the 47 - story torre latinoamerica , or latin - american tower . traffic glittered in silvery streams below , along wide avenues that radiated in spokes toward the mountains . long commutes not only add to pollution , they tear at the social fabric , she said .
u . s . embassies and consulates data from air quality monitors at select u . s . embassies and consulates around the world
officials say that about a third of the capital’s population suffers from respiratory problems during periods of high pollution ( houston chronicle online ) .
“if you don’t attack the problem of the urban structure , it doesn’t matter how much you invest in public transport , ” warned mr . martínez , who is also advising the city on emergency pollution measures . “it doesn’t resolve the underlying issue . ”
marley na , gaffney js , ramos - villegas r , gonzalez bc . comparison of measurements of peroxyacyl nitrates and primary carbonaceous aerosol concentrations in mexico city determined in 1997 and 2003 . atmospheric chemistry and physics . 2007 ; 7 : 2277 - 2285 .
several institutions have been measuring air quality in recent days with this double driving ban , and there has not been any significant or substantive change detected ,
ordonez diaz said .
one resident said , “i just want to know what to do , stay inside with the doors and windows closed or get out in the open air” ( reuter wire online ) .
the mexican government has some plans to eliminate this problem , but the situation has gotten to the point where the citizens of mexico city need solutions .
mexico city — on bad days , you can smell the stench from a mile away , drifting over a nowhere sprawl of highways and office parks .
compare that to shanghai , which had an aqi of 117 , which is only unhealthy for sensitive groups such as kids and people with respiratory problems . beijing was experiencing relatively clear air friday with an aqi of just 60 , which is moderately good air quality .
the publication assembles the findings of a workshop organised by the itf and the development bank for latin america ( caf ) together with the ministry of environment of mexico city ( sedema ) in january 2017 .
only it didn’t , pretty much from the start . the canal was based on gravity . and mexico city , a mile and a half above sea level , was sinking , collapsing in on itself .
the government had previously abandoned the program due to its proven inefficiency , and , among the city’s residents , the readoption of hoy no circula has been viewed as an unpopular approach to manage mexico city’s undeniable environmental issues .
usage notice : all the air quality data are unvalidated at the time of publication , and due to quality assurance these data may be amended , without notice , at any time . the world air quality index project has exercised all reasonable skill and care in compiling the contents of this information and under no circumstances will the world air quality index project team or its agents be liable in contract , tort or otherwise for any loss , injury or damage arising directly or indirectly from the supply of this data .
on march 15 this year , mexico city encountered its worst environmental crisis of the last decade . a gray fog , comprising noxious air pollutants , cast a shadow over the sprawling metropolitan area for two days . vehicles were ordered off the roads , and people were asked to remain indoors .
a strong high pressure system lying over mexico . this leads to high atmospheric stability .
they are having the same problems mexico had in the past ,
naranjo said .
they are growing faster than their capacity to adjust . they face a big challenge not to repeat the mistakes of mexico .
although nothing positive can come out of playing sports for andres altamirano on a smog emergency day , it seems as though he , and many of the other people in mexico city , have basically given up .
the average resident in a wealthy mexico city neighborhood to the west , nearer the reservoirs , consumes 100 gallons per day , experts note . the wealthy resident pays one - tenth what ms . guzmán does .
partly , it is policy . starting in the 1980s , mexico’s government created mandates that reformulated gasoline , closed or moved toxic factories , and banned most drivers from using their cars one day a week . more recently , mexico city added a popular free bicycle loan program and expanded public transportation systems .
portland ' s air quality index ( aqi ) was 154 on wednesday evening . a rating higher than 150 is considered unhealthy for everyone .
part of the infonavit - funded project is within gsd’s executive education program , directed by rena fonseca , ph . d . ’91 . her office is less than a year into a three - year cycle of programs on affordable housing in mexico , building connections with infonavit’s executives . insiders call the goal “capacity building , ” which castillo said creates “an ecology of knowledge” connecting harvard with housing experts in mexico . last month , an executive education advance team was in mexico city preparing for a may event at infonavit .
mexico city appears to have cut most of its pollutants at least by half , said miguel naranjo , a panama city - based official of the u . n . environment program , while recent studies show a number of cities in china and india recording higher levels of the most serious pollutants .
portland ' s aqi of 160 on aug . 4 was worse than some of the cities most notorious for poor air quality in the world . the hazy smoke made it difficult to see more than a few glimpses of the otherwise blue - sky day , giving metro residents a taste of life in a much more polluted city .