This is the case of airlines in the low-cost segment, such as Viva Aerobus and Volaris, which obtain around 47% of their income through the sale of complementary services.

This category of income has grown more than the fees themselves. In the case of Viva Aerobus, for example, it shot up 38% in the first quarter of the year compared to the same period in 2022, while for Volaris the increase was 20%; that is, well above inflation.

In this regard, Jonathan Felix, an analyst at Verum Calificadora de Valores, explains that this dynamic is related to a strategy to increase demand, and is a fundamental part of the business model of the low-cost segment, and its recovery has been partly due to the recovery in demand coupled with the general rise in prices.

“We are talking about a consumer who is spending more right now. Without a doubt the consumer is traveling more, but wow, they were also stored during the pandemic and right now everyone wants to leave home,” he says.

However, this model does not apply to all airlines. In the case of Aeroméxico, for example, complementary income represented only 9.2% of its total income.

The first quarter is usually a period of low demand, so the start of the summer season, together with a favorable reduction in the exchange rate, improves the sector’s expectations.

“About 50% of the cost structure is in dollars, so we will see a very important margin and growing demand,” concludes the Verum specialist.