Volaris Airline Company, founded in August 2005, is a Mexican low-cost airline headquartered in Santa Fe, Mexico City. The airline operates major hubs in Guadalajara, Mexico City, and Tijuana, with additional focus cities in Leon, Monterrey, and Cancun. Volaris ranks as the second-largest airline in Mexico, trailing only Aeromexico. It serves both domestic and international destinations across the Americas and holds a dominant position in the Mexican domestic airline market, with a market share exceeding 28% of domestic traffic.

History

The pre-operations phase of the airline, initially named Vuela Airlines, commenced in August 2005, originating from the Vuelmex project. Key initial shareholders included Grupo Televisa, TACA Airlines, and Inbursa, each contributing 25% of the initial startup costs. Discovery Americas Fund also participated as a partner. In July 2010, Televisa and Inbursa divested their stakes in Volaris, leaving ownership to Discovery Americas Fund.

Ticket sales began on January 12, 2006, and the first flight took off in February 2006, followed by scheduled revenue flights on March 13, 2006.

Volaris expanded its service to Mexico City in September 2010, incorporating flight routes from two defunct Mexican airlines, Mexicana and Aerocalifornia. In March 2011, the airline announced the relocation of its Toluca hub to Guadalajara.

In June 2012, Volaris launched its frequent flyer program, Vclub, offering special fare offers, last-minute travel deals, and other exclusive perks. The program enables customers to save up to 40% on their bookings. Additionally, on June 6, 2012, Volaris introduced PayPal as a payment option for customers to purchase tickets directly from the airline's website.

Volaris entered into a codeshare partnership with Condor on September 17, 2012. The airline celebrated its seventh anniversary in March 2013, offering passengers a 70% discount on all flights, a tradition continued in subsequent years. In March 2016, Volaris established a subsidiary, Volaris Costa Rica, based at Juan Santamarina International Airport, which began operations in November 2016.

International Operations

In November 2008, Volaris announced a codeshare agreement with the US-based low-cost carrier Southwest Airlines. In April 2009, the airline initiated US-bound flights from Toluca and Guadalajara to connect with Southwest Airlines' hubs. Subsequently, flights to the US were offered from Zacatecas and Morelia.

Volaris launched services between Chicago/Midway and Guadalajara in December 2010. On February 2011, the airline announced the commencement of service to Fresno on April 14, 2011. Fresno marked Volaris' first US destination without partnering with Southwest Airlines. Later in 2011, Guadalajara International Airport became Volaris' American Gateway hub.

The airline sought permission to operate flights between Dallas and Mexico City, along with several other US-Mexico routes, and received approval from the US Department of Transportation on February 11, 2011. Volaris gained approval for flights to San Diego International Airport on July 12, 2012, and began non-stop flights between Orlando and Guadalajara on July 14, 2012. Additionally, the airline launched service between Sacramento and Guadalajara on November 15, 2012.

Services

Volaris operates single-class, high-density cabin configurations. Complimentary meals and drinks are not provided onboard, but passengers have the option to purchase items through the 'Entre Nubes' buy-on-board program. Onboard sales constitute a significant portion of the airline's ancillary revenue.