Viva Foundation Launches Flight Crew Training Program For Colombians From Underprivileged Backgrounds

Colombian low-cost carrier Viva, along with its charitable Viva Foundation have as official values “air inclusion.” Supporting this mission, the airline and its Viva Foundation, announced the Viva Sin Límites (Viva without limits) strategy last month, with the objective of training 22 men and women from the lowest socioeconomic strata in the departments of Chocó (Northern Colombia’s Pacific coast), Bolivar (Cartagena & surrounding area), Valle del Cauca (Cali’s region) and Antioquia (home to Medellín).

“Yesterday I had the opportunity to be with our future cabin crew who are part of the ‘Viva Sin Limites’ program. The members of this program are women and men with limited resources, but with an energy, passion and desire to take on the world like no other! Thanks to the Viva Foundation for this incredible project and Long live inclusion, Long live diversity!” – Viva CEO Felix Antelo

The program, which launched in February, includes a full scholarship to the Indo-American School of Aviation in Bogotá, covers academic training, and basic living expenses, during the training process and offers subsequent employability within the airline to participants who successfully complete their studies.

 The first sortie of 22 active participating students will graduate its first fleet of students on June 21.

“Viva sin Límites is a project we are proud of because it allows us to show that at Viva we fly differently. Together with our Viva Foundation, we land with opportunities at the destinations we reach as an airline. Today we are changing the realities of 22 young people who did not have the resources to obtain training as professionals and, thanks to this process, we will link wonderful people to our flight teams, allowing us to continue bringing air inclusion to all corners of the country,” said Félix Antelo, CEO & President of Grupo Viva.

Mónica Gil, CEO of the Viva Air Foundation.

 Viva sin Límites responds to two strategic objectives of the Viva Foundation: Viva la Educación and Viva la Inclusión, through which it aims to challenge the status quo and contribute to the personal and professional growth of young people while building an increasingly diverse crew, demonstrating to travelers the DNA of the airline.

“At the Viva Foundation we are focusing all our efforts on this project, where most of the students selected are responsible for income in their households, 60% of them already have children as a result of teenage pregnancies and 95% of them have never had incomes higher than minimum wage; that is why we hope that through Viva Sin Límites we can help improve their living conditions and have a positive impact on their realities,” commented Mónica Gil, CEO of the Viva Foundation.