Mexican low-cost carrier Volaris plans to add two to four new destinations in the USA in 2015, says chief executive Enrique Beltranena.
Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston are on the list for new service this year, the airline’s announcements and regulatory filings show. However, Beltranena declines to comment on what other cities may be added.
Volaris continues to focus growth in US markets with high Mexican immigrant populations and target visiting friends and relatives (VFR) traffic, he says on the sidelines of the Wings Club luncheon in New York today.
Guadalajara-Dallas/Fort Worth flights will begin “shortly” after they are approved by the US Department of Transportation and Guadalajara-Houston Intercontinental flights on 9 March.
Volaris will increase international available seat miles (ASMs) by 33% to 36% in 2015, executives say. The majority of this will be on new routes between existing destinations, for example new Guadalajara-Orlando and Tijuana-Oakland flights that are planned, as well as to the up to four new markets.
“It is about connecting the dots,” says Beltranena.
International routes to the USA are performing “very well” for Volaris, despite a 17.2% increase in ASMs in 2014, he adds. The airline served 19 destinations in the USA at the end of the year.
The international growth comes as Volaris carefully manages domestic capacity. Domestic growth will be in the low single digits while network ASMs will increase 10% to 12% in 2015.
The carrier’s fleet will grow by five aircraft in 2015, as it adds two Airbus A321s and five Airbus A320s and removes one Airbus A319 and one A320.
Source: Cirium Dashboard
