VivaAerobus tops list of most erotic bikini calendars

Deep discount Mexican airline VivaAerobus (VB), which is partially owned by Irish businessman and Ryanair CEO, Michael O'Leary, sells a charity calendar for $10 to passengers boarding their flights, which often costs more than the actual plane ticket. The calendar features their own bikini clad flight attendants in revealing attire, with profits benefiting a Mexican children's cancer institute.

They have been literally flying off the shelves. Even more amazing, a VivaAerobus video on YouTube has gone viral, racking up almost half a million views. There's something compelling about a sleek jet with an almost naked woman posing against it.

The combination of sexy marketing and charitable causes is not original. In fact, Ryanair has been doing the same thing for four consecutive years. If gala benefit balls can auction off dates with eligible bachelors and debutantes, then bikini calendars may be the poor man's way of feeling good about lusting after beautiful women.

VivaAerobus, used to charge about $39 to fly from Austin, Texas to Cancun, Mexico, but that service has been discontinued. While operating, it was marketed with similar sexy themes in its television commercials, which suited its  image of a laid back, fun and affordable vacation airline. They have even advertised tickets for one peso, which is about the equivalent of eight U.S. cents. That's hard to believe, unless they're also selling plane loads of calendars.

Currently the airline, which serves various destinations within Mexico, as well as Las Vegas, Neveda and Houston, Texas, is selling tickets purchased by December 15, for travel from January through April, 2011 as low as 229 pesos round trip. For example, a flight from Houston, Texas to Monterrey, Mexico would cost just $9.99 each way in U.S. Dollars.

VivaAerobus operates a fleet of 11 Boeing 737-400 aircraft, each carrying 148 passengers. Ten additional planes are on order. The average age of its equipment is 23.2 years.

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