Viva Air, looking to accelerate ideas that will reignite the aviation industry, has announced the 10 finalists to its competition.
This past month the Colombian airline, through its Viva Air Labs innovation laboratory, challenged entrepreneurs to formulate solutions to the issues facing airlines worldwide with the spread of COVID-19.
The winning proposal, aimed at incentivizing travelers to fly again, will receive a $10,000 USD prize and will see its idea implemented by the airline.
Among the top ten finalists were six proposals from Bogotá, Medellín, Santa Marta, and Rionegro. The finalists included new technologies, promotions, communication formats and other solutions.
The 10 finalists are:
1. Flamingo by Juan Espinel and Camilo Torres – Bogotá, Colombia.
2. #ViajarVuelveASerViajar by Juna Carlos Gallardo – Lima, Peru.
3. #VolvamosAVolar by Laura Grisales – Bogotá, Colombia.
4. Boarding Pass of Alejandro Gonzáles – Lugo, Spain.
5. Treasure of Carlos Martin Paiva – Piura, Peru.
6. We protect your health from Juan Arcila – Medellín, Colombia.
7. Fly Pass + presented by Geoff Ax, Jemma Raddick, Julie Rinaldi, Alex Ogata, Henan Liu and Fernanda Sánchez – Washington DC, United States.
8. Senses by Carlitos Morales, Diego Alexander Loaiza Jiménez, Johann Michel Castañeda Diaz, Lizeth Paola Robayo Alarcón, Ximena López, Diego Ojeda Castillo and Yeidfrith Tobón – Bogotá, Río Negro, Santa Marta and Medellín, Colombia.
9. WYLS by Felipe Chaves – Bogotá, Colombia.
10. Ambassador Travel idea presented by Jorge Ulloa – Medellín, Colombia.
Viva Air is the only airline in Latin America with an innovation laboratory dedicated to finding new solutions for the aviation industry. Said its Labs’ founder Clyde Hutchinson, “The response of the participants exceeded our expectations, each of them creative and innovative.”
The executive added that many of the proposals shared commonalities, including having medical personnel at airports, visible indications and audiovisual aids to remind travelers to maintain social distancing, boarding and movement within aircraft, and constant disinfectant supply before takeoff and aboard the aircraft.
As the battle against COVID-19 reaches the global economy, no industry has been harder hit than the aviation sector.
In the United States, in 2019 TSA screened approximately 2.5 million passengers every day; in April that daily number dropped to between 90,000 and 130,000.
Several major airlines worldwide have resorted to drastic measures to curb the COVID-19 outbreak and to maintain operation and cash flow amidst economic uncertainty.
Another airline that operates in Colombia, Copa Airlines, earlier announced that it hopes to resume regional operations at the start of June, contingent on approval from authorities in each Latin American country.
Featured photo of Viva Air Labs Founder Clyde Hutchinson
