ATA flop could be Gary's ticket to Mexico

BY KEITH BENMAN, Times of Northwest Indiana
kbenman@nwitimes.com

ATA Airlines' Thursday bankruptcy announcement may create opportunities for VivaAerobus, a Mexican airline planning daily flights from Gary/Chicago International Airport to Monterey, Mexico, starting in September.

JuanCarlos Zuazua Cosio, VivaAerobus' public relations director, said the airline's plans are fixed through the end of this year, but that ATA's cessation of flights to Mexico may help open new route opportunities by next year.

"In the future, there is definitely a lot of potential market between Mexico and the United States, especially for smaller airports like Gary," he said.

ATA's bankruptcy wipes out the only direct flights to Mexico from Midway Airport. That opens new opportunities for VivaAerobus to snag the lucrative Hispanic market in Chicago's south and southeast suburbs.

O'Hare International Airport now is the area's only takeoff point for direct flights to Mexico.

In the meantime, VivaAerobus continues to negotiate and plan for service to Mexico from three U.S. cities, including Gary, Zuazua Cosio said.

"The Chicago operation is almost 100 percent sure," Zuazua Cosio said.

In March, the ultralow cost carrier, applied to the U.S. Department of Transportation to start direct daily flights from Gary.

Nationwide, Thursday's ATA bankruptcy stranded about 10,000 travelers who held tickets for flights and threw 2,200 employees out of work. About 600 of those workers worked at ATA's flight center in Indianapolis.

Passengers found out about the bankruptcy through notices posted at ATA ticket counters.

"It ruins my vacation," said Beatrice Martinez, who had a ticket to fly on Thursday from Midway to Guadalajara, Mexico. "I'm in shock. So I guess I'll try to make other arrangements. Right now I just need to get to Mexico."

ATA blamed the bankruptcy on the cancellation of a contract with FedEx for carrying U.S. troops and high oil prices.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.