After four years Volaris returned to Toluca International Airport (TLC) with six destinations, as part of a strategic plan in the Valley of Mexico that involves decompressing Mexico City International Airport (AICM).
Flight Y4 1314 from Puerto Vallarta on an Airbus A320neo with registration XA-VSN marked the return of operations to TLC by the low-cost carrier. The six destinations combined will have more than 75,000 seats per month on 408 flights, relieving the overcrowded AICM at key destinations.
Volaris will connect Toluca with:
- Cancun (CUN): 2 daily flights.
- Guadalajara (GDL): 1 daily flight.
- Huatulco (HUX): 4 weekly flights.
- Los Cabos (SJD): 1 flight daily.
- Puerto Vallarta (PVR): 1 flight daily.
- Tijuana (TIJ): 1 flight daily.
Volaris becomes the first Mexican company to operate in the three airports of the Valley of Mexico integrated in the Metropolitan Airport System (SAM), which include the AICM and Felipe Angeles International Airport (AIFA).
Volaris’ Executive Chairman and CEO, Enrique Beltranena, stated that by simultaneously operating the airports of Mexico City, Santa Lucia -with AIFA- and Toluca, the airline will offer one million seats per month on domestic and international routes.
In addition, it will take advantage of Guadalajara to connect with the route network with the United States or the Cross Border Xpress (CBX) bridge in Tijuana to San Diego.
Volaris’ beginnings
On March 13, 2006, Volaris began commercial operations connecting Toluca with Tijuana, with the goal of becoming one of the largest airlines in Mexico with a fleet of more than 100 aircraft.
The airport was adapted to the low-cost model, with simple operations and low operational costs, being an alternative to the chaotic AICM.
In a matter of four years, Toluca airport reached 4 million passengers for a terminal that was capable of handling 6.2 million annual travelers.
The bankruptcy of Mexicana de Aviación left a large gap at AICM allowing several airlines to move their operations there, among them Volaris.
Progressively, Toluca ceased to be a competitive airport despite being an option for the low cost airlines that also used to be the home of Interjet and Avicsa. Volaris closed its doors at Toluca’s airport in May 2018. By 2019, passenger movement dropped to 689,000 passengers.
Now, at a time when the Mexico City metropolitan area’s air system has become saturated, Toluca is back on the airline map, even reducing the Airport Use Tax (TUA) to lure airlines back.
Volaris will not be alone, by September it will be joined by Viva Aerobus with flights to Merida (MID), Monterrey (MTY), Puerto Vallarta (PVR) and Cancun (CUN).
