Flix launches bus operations in Santiago, Chile

Flix has announced that it has made its debut in Chile, having rolled out its inaugural fleet of environmentally friendly buses departing from Santiago in October 2023.

“We are thrilled to officially welcome Chile as Flix’s 42nd country worldwide, and the second country in South America, following Brazil,” said André Schwämmlein, CEO of Flix. “Our mission is to provide sustainable and affordable travel options for everyone, and we see significant demand for such services in Chile. We are dedicated to providing consistent quality, safety standards and a seamless customer experience in every region where we operate, establishing a competitive market offering and more reliable choices for customers.”

In its initial phase, Flix’s Chilean operations has connected Santiago with Viña del Mar, San Antonio and Coquimbo. The company has ambitious plans to further expand its reach to the central and southern regions of the country in the coming months.

Intelligent Transport reached out to Flix to find out more. In response, Santiago Echeverría, Managing Director for FlixBus Chile, said: “After the pandemic, the supply of intercity transport in Chile was reduced by 40%, increasing bus ticket prices and pushing people to prefer the car for medium and long distances. As a hint: in 2015, the intercity bus network in Chile transported 58.8 million passengers, a figure that today has dropped to around 40 million!

“With the arrival of FlixBus, we sought to grow the market in Chile by recovering those lost passengers and enchanting new travellers with sustainable and affordable travel options. And the response from the community has been incredible! We started with three very popular destinations – San Antonio, Viña del Mar and Coquimbo – and, by the end of 2024, we expect to cover most of the main cities in the south-central part of the country.”

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The intercity travel industry in Chile has faced a significant downturn in recent years due to the pandemic and price increases for collective transport, which has led to a surge in private car ownership, among other factors. Therefore, Flix is working to reverse this trend with its distinctive transport offerings.

The launch of operations in the Chilean market is an integral part of Flix’s successful growth strategy. In September 2023, Flix reported its half-year figures for the first six months of the year, revealing it as the most successful first half-year in the company’s history. From January to June 2023, more than 36 million passengers worldwide travelled with FlixBus, FlixTrain, Greyhound and Kamil Koç, marking a 53% increase compared to the same period in 2022. 

Flix’s expansion into Chile represents a significant milestone for the company, and its commitment to providing sustainable, affordable and high-quality travel options aligned with the evolving needs of travellers in the region.