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 holds a 42% market share in the Mexican domestic airline market. Volaris operates from several bases, including Cancun, Culiacan, Guadalajara, and Mexico City, 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 concept originated from the proposed "Vuelamex" project, with initial shareholders including Grupo Televisa, Inbursa, TACA Airlines, and Discovery Americas Fund, each investing 25% (100 million USD) of the initial costs.

2005: Launch of Volaris logo

In 2005, Volaris launched its logo, which features a colorful, pixelated star against a black background, representing the north star, Polaris.

January 2006: Ticket sales started

In January 2006, ticket sales started for Volaris flights.

February 2006: First non-commercial flight operated

In February 2006, following the delivery of its 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 Southwest Airlines, a U.S.-based low-cost carrier.

April 2009: Start of U.S.-bound flights and feeding into Southwest Airlines hubs

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

July 2010: Televisa and Inbursa sold their stake in Volaris

In July 2010, Televisa and Inbursa sold their stake in Volaris. Following the sale, the ownership of Volaris was held by TACA Airlines with Roberto and Maria Cristina Kriete (50%), Investment fund Discovery Americas (over 25%), and Indigo Partners, a 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 Aerocalifornia and Mexicana.

March 2011: Hub relocation to Guadalajara

In March 2011, Volaris announced that its hub in Toluca would be moved 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 Mexicana de Aviación's shutdown, Volaris took over many of Mexicana's international destinations and flights from its focus city, Guadalajara.

June 2012: Launch of VClub frequent flyer program and PayPal integration

In June 2012, Volaris launched its frequent flyer program called VClub. Also in June 2012, PayPal was integrated as a payment option for customers to purchase tickets directly from the airline's website.

September 2012: Codeshare partnership with Condor

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

February 2013: Cessation of codesharing with Southwest

In February 2013, Volaris and Southwest ended their codesharing agreement. Southwest chose to concentrate 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 tradition continued annually.

March 2016: Creation of Volaris Costa Rica

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

November 2016: Volaris Costa Rica started operations

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

January 2018: Codeshare agreement with Frontier Airlines

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

June 2018: Free flights for reuniting deported families

In June 2018, following an order by Donald Trump ending the family separation policy, Volaris announced they would offer free flights for children to reunite with family members who had been deported.

2019: Discontinuation of in-flight entertainment

By 2019, Volaris had discontinued all in-flight entertainment (IFE) services, which had previously utilized drop-down screens on its Airbus aircraft.

2022: Class-action lawsuits due to COVID-19 flight refunds

As of 2022, Volaris has faced multiple class-action lawsuits related to the improper handling of flight refunds for flights canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

October 2025: Volaris operates an all-Airbus A320 family fleet

As of October 2025, Volaris operates an all-Airbus A320 family fleet.

December 2025: Agreement to form a holding company with Viva

In December 2025, Volaris and Viva signed an agreement to form a holding company, aiming to create the largest low-cost airline group in Mexico while maintaining both airlines' brands and lowering fleet costs.

2025: Authorization to operate with foreign pilots

In 2025, Mexico’s Federal Civil Aviation Agency (AFAC) authorized Volaris to operate 10 aircraft with foreign pilots between Dec. 1, 2025, and Jan. 12, 2026.

2026: Authorization to operate with foreign pilots

In 2026, Mexico’s Federal Civil Aviation Agency (AFAC) authorized Volaris to operate 10 aircraft with foreign pilots between Dec. 1, 2025, and Jan. 12, 2026.