History of Volaris in Timeline

Volaris is a Mexican low-cost airline headquartered in Mexico City. It is the largest airline in Mexico by transported passengers and the leading airline in the Mexican domestic market with a 42% market share. The airline operates from several operating bases including Cancun, Guadalajara, and Tijuana, serving domestic and international destinations within the Americas.

August 2005: Pre-operations phase and founding of Vuela Airlines

In August 2005, the pre-operations phase began under the name Vuela Airlines, involving the founding of legal entities and setting up infrastructure. The airline idea originated from the "Vuelamex" project, with initial shareholders including Grupo Televisa, Inbursa, TACA Airlines, and Discovery Americas Fund, each investing 25% (100 million USD).

2005: Launch of Volaris logo

Since its launch in 2005, the Volaris logo has featured a colorful, pixelated star against a black background, representing the north star, Polaris, from which the airline's name is derived.

January 2006: Ticket sales started

In January 2006, Volaris began its ticket sales operations.

February 2006: First non-commercial flight

In February 2006, following the delivery of the airline's first aircraft, Volaris operated its first non-commercial flight.

March 13, 2006: Launch of scheduled revenue flights

On March 13, 2006, Volaris launched scheduled revenue flights, with the inaugural flight operating between Toluca and Tijuana.

November 2008: Codeshare agreement with Southwest Airlines

In November 2008, Volaris announced a codeshare agreement with the U.S.-based low-cost carrier Southwest Airlines.

April 2009: Start of U.S.-bound flights to feed into Southwest Airlines hubs

In April 2009, Volaris announced the start of U.S.-bound flights from Toluca and Guadalajara (initially to Los Angeles and Oakland) to connect with Southwest Airlines' hubs.

July 2010: Televisa and Inbursa sell stake in Volaris

In July 2010, Televisa and Inbursa sold their stake in Volaris. After the sale, the ownership of Volaris was as follows: TACA Airlines with Roberto and Maria Cristina Kriete (50%), Investment fund Discovery Americas (over 25%), and Indigo Partners: Fund led by former America West CEO Bill Franke.

September 2010: Volaris began service to Mexico City

In September 2010, Volaris began service to Mexico City after absorbing flight routes from two defunct Mexican airlines, Aerocalifornia and Mexicana.

March 2011: Airline hub move to Guadalajara

In March 2011, Volaris announced that its hub in Toluca would move to Guadalajara.

2011: Guadalajara International Airport as an American gateway hub

In late 2011, Volaris began using Guadalajara International Airport as an American gateway hub, after taking over many of Mexicana de Aviación's international destinations and flights.

June 2012: Launch of VClub and PayPal integration

In June 2012, Volaris launched a frequent flyer program called VClub and integrated PayPal as a payment option on their website.

September 2012: Codeshare partnership with Condor

In September 2012, Volaris announced a codeshare partnership with the German airline Condor, allowing Condor's passengers access to more international destinations.

February 2013: Volaris and Southwest stop codesharing

In February 2013, Volaris and Southwest discontinued their codesharing agreement. Southwest decided to concentrate more on the Mexican market with AirTran Airways instead.

March 13, 2013: Seventh anniversary celebration

On March 13, 2013, Volaris celebrated its seventh anniversary by offering passengers 70% off all flights, a practice that has continued annually since then.

March 2016: Creation of Volaris Costa Rica announced

In March 2016, Volaris announced the creation of a subsidiary, Volaris Costa Rica.

November 2016: Volaris Costa Rica operations begin

In November 2016, Volaris Costa Rica, based at Juan Santamaría International Airport in San José, began its operations.

January 2018: Codeshare agreement with Frontier Airlines

In January 2018, Volaris announced a codeshare agreement with American low-cost carrier Frontier Airlines.

June 2018: Free flights for reunited families

In June 2018, after Donald Trump signed an order ending the family separation policy, Volaris offered free flights for children to reunite with family members who had been deported.

2019: Discontinuation of in-flight entertainment

By 2019, Volaris had discontinued the use of in-flight entertainment (IFE) in its aircraft, which had previously been provided via drop-down screens on its Airbus aircraft.