Volaris Becomes Largest Mexican Carrier To The United States

The Mexican ultra-low-cost carrier Volaris increased its seat offer in flights to the United States last year and carried over 2.6 million passengers, becoming the leading Mexican airline in this transborder market, it announced.

Increasing its capacity in the transborder market

The Mexico-US market was the most important globally in terms of international passenger numbers in 2022. It received 35 million passengers, according to data from the Mexican government.

Despite Mexico being downgraded to Category 2 by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the market has remained resilient and growing in the last few years, surpassing pre-COVID levels (in 2019, there were 31 million passengers). Volaris, an ultra-low-cost carrier based in Mexico, has increased its presence.

Last year, Volaris served 28 destinations across the United States and carried over 2.6 million passengers. The airline mainly served three US States, California, Texas, and Florida, where it operated 36 point-to-point routes.

A Volaris aircraft parked and an Aeromexico aircraft departing in the back.

Photo: VG Foto/Shutterstock.

California dreams

In California alone, Volaris had a 23% increase in the seat offer and carried around two million customers. It became the leading Mexican airline in that State, offering 25 non-stop routes from eight Mexican cities (Aguascalientes, Bajío, Guadalajara, Oaxaca, Uruapan, Mexico City, Morelia, and Zacatecas). The destinations served in California were Los Angeles (LAX), Fresno (FAT), Oakland (OAK), San José (SJC), and Sacramento (SMF).

Texas and Florida

These two US States also became essential for Volaris’ growth across the North American country. In 2022, Volaris carried 511,000 and 182,000 passengers to Texas and Florida, offering six and five routes, respectively.

In Texas, Volaris serves three airports, Houston (IAH), San Antonio (SAT), and Dallas Fort Worth (DFW). It has six routes (Dallas Fort Worth-Guadalajara, Dallas-Mexico City, Houston-Guadalajara, San Antonio-Guadalajara, Houston-Mexico City, and San Antonio-Mexico City).

In Miami, the Mexican ultra-low-cost carrier serves Orlando International (MCO) and Miami International (MIA). It has five routes, Orlando-Cancun, Orlando-Guadalajara, Orlando-Mexico City, Miami-Guadalajara, and Miami-Mexico City. Omar Carrera, Volaris’Chief Commercial Officer (CFO), said in a statement,

“California, Texas, and Florida are among the most important international destinations because of their great potential for the VFR (Visiting Friends and Relatives) segment, as there are large communities of Mexicans and Central Americans living in the area. Since we began operations to the United States, we have focused on offering the greatest number of routes so that they can be close to their loved ones.”

Several Volaris aircraft seen in Mexico City

Photo: Markus Mainka/Shutterstock.

Volaris in 2022

Last year was great for Volaris. The Mexican company set a record in terms of carried passengers, surpassing over 31 million travelers. It was the first company in Mexican history to have that amount of passengers.

Since March 2006, Volaris has increased its routes from five to 200 and its fleet from two to 118 aircraft. Volaris is a key Airbus customer in Latin America, still expecting to receive over 100 narrowbody Airbus A320-based planes in the next few years. The company has domestic branches in El Salvador and Costa Rica, which also focus on carrying the VFR traveler looking to visit Mexico and the United States.

Have you traveled with Volaris to the United States? How was the experience? Let us know in the comments below.