Q COSTARICA — high taxes added to the cost of airfare were the main reason why the low-cost airline Volaris suspended intraregional flights between Central American nations, including four flights that operated in Costa Rica.
This was confirmed by Volaris’ general manager for the region, Ronny Rodríguez, who indicated that this situation was affecting the airline’s image. Despite offering low ticket prices to passengers, they ultimately end up paying much more in taxes, leading people to believe that the fares are not truly competitive.
He explained that when they arrived in the region, with Costa Rica as their first country of operation, initial fares were US$240 for a round-trip flight. This created competition with other airlines that charged much more. Furthermore, $110 of that price corresponded to taxes.
The Volaris spokesperson clarified that in recent times they have continued to lower the price of their routes, reaching as low as US$80 for a round trip. There have even been times when they had lower fares, but these always double when the tax is added, without managing to penetrate these routes as they have in other markets.
“In Costa Rica alone, the taxes and departure fees that passengers must pay to and from the country represent about 57% of the final price the customer pays for their ticket,” added Rodriguez.
Legislator blames President Chaves
Costa Rica legislator Eliécer Feinzaig asserts that Volaris’s announced decision to suspend four routes from Costa Rica is a direct consequence of Rodrigo Chaves’s veto of the low-cost flight bill. Read more: Rodrigo Chaves vetoes bill for low-cost flights in Central America
The vetoed bill aimed to reduce the price of air tickets to travel to Central American countries by lowering the departure tax and encouraging airlines to reduce ticket prices.
The congressman’s criticism stems from the airline’s announcement on Thursday that it will suspend, starting in April, flights to and from San José, Guatemala, Tegucigalpa, San Salvador, and Miami. Routes within Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras will also be suspended.
“Volaris’s regrettable decision to cancel four routes to and from Costa Rica is a direct result of President Chaves’ obstruction of the Central American low-cost flight bill. It’s unacceptable that an airline offers flights for US$37 per segment and then passengers have to pay US$40 or US$50 in taxes on those same flights—that is, that the tax is more than what is paid to the airline,” he stated.