Travelers are choosing airlines over buses
Taking a plane is often cheaper than going by bus
Travel by air continues to grow in Mexico at the expense of the bus lines, whose fares in many cases are higher than those of the airlines.
The number of people who have traveled by plane grew 68% in the past 10 years, a period during which bus passenger levels grew just 21%.Twenty years ago, just 0.9% of Mexicans traveled by air, a figure that has risen to 1.8%, according to estimates by the Secretariat of Communications and Transportation.
One reason why travelers are choosing air over ground travel is the fares. Bus tickets increased 21% in price between 2012 and 2015 but airline tickets rose by only 2.6% in the same period.
For example, a VivaAerobus ticket from Monterrey to Guadalajara, departing October 9, will cost 671 pesos (or US $40). Take the bus and the price is 850 pesos. An Interjet ticket for a Mexico City-Cancún flight can be purchased for 1,619 pesos but the trip with ADO will cost 2,160.
Reduced travel time when going by air is also a factor, and analyst Bernardo Vélez of Grupo Bursátil Mexicano, an investment and brokerage firm, sees potential for further growth for the airlines on bus routes that exceed five hours.
More Mexicans are discovering the advantages of air travel, according to the airlines, which estimate that during the past year 27% of their passengers — 877,480 people — were traveling by plane for the first time.
Source: El Financiero (sp)Another factor in the increased popularity of air travel is the growing middle class, says Vélez.
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