Volaris To Open 30 New Routes

Mexican ULCC Volaris is expanding its domestic and international network with the launch of 30 new routes in the coming months, strengthening connectivity between Mexico, the U.S. and Central America.

Among the highlights is a route linking Querétaro with Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), a service the carrier last offered for almost year until April 2018. Flights on the sector will operate three times per week from July 1.

“We are very, very happy about this new route to Los Angeles,” Carlos Perera, commercial director of Querétaro International Airport (QRO), told Aviation Week at Routes Americas 2025 in Nassau, Bahamas. “There are strong business and commercial relationships between the two cities. LA is a place where many Mexicans travel for various reasons, and Querétaro also has significant ties to the U.S. market.”

Eric Friedman, Volaris’ director of network planning and strategy, added that market conditions have evolved since the airline last operated the route, making this the right time for a relaunch. “Back in 2018, we stimulated the market quite a bit, but it wasn’t quite enough back then,” he said.

“Since then, the market has grown back to its previous size despite a lack of direct service. With all the economic activity in Querétaro, we believe we can successfully reintroduce this route and stimulate even greater demand.”

Aviation Week Network’s aviation consultancy ASM worked on the QRO-LAX route. “It’s a testament to Queretaro’s growing prominence on the international stage, interacting with airlines regularly, and we are excited to see the positive impact the service will have on the local economy and community,” said ASM Director for Air Service Development Consulting David Appleby.

“Solid data that we have shared consistently with the airlines has shown that the U.S. West Coast market has grown significantly over the last few years to/from Querétaro and this new Volaris service will be a great addition to the ever-growing network at QRO.”

Volaris’ planned route expansion includes an additional 29 new services between March and July, boosting its presence in Morelia, Monterrey and San Luis Potosí. Morelia will see the most significant increase, with five new international routes and three domestic additions, bringing the airport's total Volaris routes to 17.

The carrier is also strengthening its footprint in Central America. San José, Costa Rica, will gain new connections to Miami, Orlando and Tulum, complementing Volaris' existing routes from the Costa Rican capital to Cancun, Guatemala City, Mexico City Juarez and San Salvador.

Additionally, the airline is shifting its New York-area operations from New York John F. Kennedy International Airport to Newark Liberty International Airport starting July 1, where it will serve Guadalajara and San Salvador.

As previously reported, the network expansion also includes the first international service from Aeropuerto Internacional de Tepic-Riviera Nayarit, with a new route to LAX beginning July 16.

Volaris carried 2.6 million passengers in January 2025, although its load factor decreased by 1.5 percentage points year-over-year to 86.6%. President and CEO Enrique Beltranena said the airline had seen some softness in VFR traffic to the U.S., but attributed this to geopolitical uncertainty following President Trump’s inauguration.

“To manage this, we adjusted base fares to stimulate demand and deliver healthy load factors,” he said. “It is our expectation this is a temporary market condition, but we will continue to monitor demand patterns closely and will adjust the network accordingly.”