Mexico’s Volaris Expects to Launch Los Angeles Route by December

Skift Take

Confident about its ability to tap into the market to switch bus passengers to air travel, Volaris is planning to expand operations in the U.S. But before that the airline will have to wait for the U.S. to restore Mexico’s aviation safety rating.

Peden Doma Bhutia

Mexico’s Volaris is aiming to start international flights to Los Angeles from the new Felipe Angeles International Airport (AIFA) north of Mexico City, which could make it the first national carrier to start an overseas route from the airport.

The route between AIFA and Los Angeles International Airport will be an addition to the airline’s current flights from Mexico City International Airport, the company said on Thursday.

Volaris said it requested for the flight authorization on April 7 and expects to start operations in December this year.

The route’s commencement, however, will rely on Mexico recovering its Category 1 air safety rating with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, Volaris said.

The U.S. aviation authority in May 2021 had downgraded the country to a Category 2 rating — the lowest. That barred Mexican carriers from adding new U.S. flights and limited the ability of airlines to carry out marketing agreements with one another.

The FAA and AIFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

(Reporting by Carolina Pulice; editing by Uttaresh.V)

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