Low-cost Mexican airline, Volaris has posted total operating revenues were Ps.6,403 million for the first quarter, a decrease of 18.2% year over year.
Total ancillary revenues were Ps.3,279 million for the first quarter, an increase of 10.1% year over year. Total ancillary revenues per passenger for the first quarter reached Ps.768, an increase of 36.0% year over year. Total ancillary revenues represented 51.2% of total operating revenues for the first quarter 2021, increasing 13.1 percentage points with respect to the same period of last year.
Total operating revenues per available seat mile (TRASM) were Ps.121.1 cents for the first quarter, a decrease of 6.0% year over year.
Operating expenses per available seat mile (CASM) were Ps.134.0 cents for the first quarter, an increase of 8.0% year over year; with an average economic fuel cost per gallon of Ps.39.1 for the first quarter, a decrease of 5.5% year over year.
Operating expenses per available seat mile excluding fuel, (CASM ex fuel) reached Ps.97.0 cents for the first quarter, an increase of 18.2% year over year; with an average exchange rate depreciation of the Mexican peso against the U.S. dollar by 2.2% year over year.
Operating loss was Ps.739 million for the first quarter, a decrease compared with the operating income of Ps.308 million for the same period of last year. Operating loss margin for the first quarter was (11.5%), compared with an operating income margin of 3.9% for the same period of last year.
Net loss was Ps.733 million (Ps.0.63 loss per share / U.S.$0.31 loss per ADS), a negative net margin of (11.4%) for the first quarter.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic started, Volaris has implemented multiple actions under a "liquidity preservation plan". In the first quarter of 2021, the focus has been to combine further payment deferrals with an optimization of the fleet plan for the post COVID-19 traffic requirements. During the first quarter of 2021, the company targeted an additional working capital relief of US$100 million. As of today, Volaris has reached agreements for US$87 million for the period of 2021 to 2023.
Volaris plans to incorporate eight additional A320NEO aircraft in 2021 through straight operating leases. These will be in addition to the three aircraft that are still to be received in 2021 from Volaris order book with Airbus.