Low-Cost Airline Volaris Expands Direct Service to Las Vegas

Posted on: June 25, 2024, 12:21h. 

Last updated on: June 25, 2024, 09:00h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Commercial Gaming, Legislation, Politics.

Volaris, a Mexican low-cost airline headquartered in Mexico City, is expanding its nonstop service to Las Vegas.

Volaris Mexico Las Vegas airline
Mexican airline Volaris will welcome more travelers to Las Vegas by way of direct service with Tijuana. The low-cost airline currently flies direct to Southern Nevada from Guadalajara and Mexico City. (Image: Unsplash)

Volaris announced it will begin running nonstop flights between Las Vegas and Tijuana starting this fall. The direct flights will operate daily on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays, with service taking off on October 29.

At Volaris, we are always looking for greater and better travel options for our clients, as well as offering unparalleled flight experiences and meeting the demand of a market with high potential such as Las Vegas,” Holger Blankenstein, Volaris’ executive vice president, said in a statement. “We once again fulfill our objective of increasingly diversifying our destination offering for the benefit of our clients on both sides of the border.”

While Las Vegas is known for its abundance of casinos and leisure offerings that have warranted its Sin City moniker, Tijuana’s economy is built on industrial manufacturing and trade, and is also known as a major tourist destination. Mexico’s fifth most-populated city with about two million residents is also notorious for its dangerous underground, controversial prescription drug and medical services, bootlegged brand-name goods, and sprawling red-light district.

Tijuana’s proximity to the United States border and San Diego has kept its tourism industries robust for decades. But with kidnappings and violent crime continuing to increase, the US State Department advises US citizens to reconsider traveling to Tijuana and the Baja California Mexican state.

Cheap Flights Abundant

The Las Vegas economy is roaring, as casinos in 2023 won more money than ever before from gamblers. Gross gaming revenue in Nevada last year reached $15.5 billion, with Clark County, home to Las Vegas, accounting for $13.48 billion of the haul.

Resort amenities like restaurants, retail stores, shows, and nightlife are benefiting from the consumers’ ongoing willingness to spend while in Southern Nevada. Las Vegas has also become a major sports destination with the NFL Raiders, NHL Golden Knights, and WNBA Aces. Major League Baseball’s A’s could also relocate to Las Vegas in the coming years.

It’s all increased demand for flights to Las Vegas. Southwest, Harry Reid International’s biggest carrier, is trying to secure direct service from the nation’s capital at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). Southwest officials say the airline in the coming years will also begin overnight red-eye flights from Las Vegas to the East Coast.

Volaris in Las Vegas

According to LAS airport records, Volaris was responsible for 305,470 arriving and departing passengers to Las Vegas last year. The airline held a 9.4% market share of the Las Vegas international traffic.

Volaris currently offers nonflight service to and from Las Vegas with Guadalajara and Mexico City.

WestJet, based in Alberta, was the largest transporter of international passengers to Las Vegas last year with 804,826. Air Canada was next at nearly 589,700 passengers.

In anticipation of further expanding the airport or building a second commercial air facility, the Clark County Board of Commissioners earlier this year approved raising the per-passenger fee it charges airlines from $6.49 to $7.27.

LAS accommodated a record 57.6 million passengers last year, easily eclipsing the airport’s previous record of 52.6 million passengers set in 2022.