Skift Take
VivaAir is the latest carrier to take a Silicon Valley-style approach to improving its technology, recently announcing that it has partnered with local universities, government entities, and startups to create an innovation lab. If executed well, this could raise the bar for customer service in the region.
With 18 short-haul aircraft based in Peru and Colombia, discounter Viva Air is far from Latin America's biggest airline group. But the company, which recently changed CEOs and just took delivery of the first two of what will be 50 new Airbus A320s that will allow it to grow, seeks to disrupt established competitors in another way — by focusing on digital strategy.
Viva Air recently announced a new lab dedicated to advancing technology through partnerships with universities, government entities and local tech companies. The new CEO Felix Antelo, who had led LATAM Airlines Perú, said in an interview that the airline strives to achieve three main objectives through what it calls Viva Air Labs: reduce costs, improve customer experience and optimize processes.
More broadly, the airline also seeks to establish a culture of collaboration in a region not known for its startups, and make a name for itself as the region's most innovative airline. “It’s a message that we want to give to the industry and the community — that technology is important for airlines and it definitely matters,” Antelo said.
Viva is not the first aviation company to create a te
