History of Volaris in Timeline

Volaris is a Mexican low-cost airline headquartered in Mexico City. As Mexico's largest airline by passenger volume, it holds a significant 42% market share in the domestic market. Volaris operates from several bases, including Cancún, Guadalajara, Mexico City, and Tijuana, serving destinations throughout the Americas.

August 2005: Pre-operations phase begins

In August 2005, Volaris, initially named Vuela Airlines, started its pre-operations phase, which included founding the legal entities and setting up the required infrastructure. The idea originated from the "Vuelamex" project, with initial shareholders being Grupo Televisa, Inbursa, TACA Airlines, and the Discovery Americas Fund, each investing 25% (100 million USD).

2005: Volaris logo launched

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

January 2006: Ticket sales started

In January 2006, Volaris commenced ticket sales.

February 2006: First non-commercial flight operated

In February 2006, Volaris operated its first non-commercial flight after receiving its first aircraft.

March 13, 2006: Scheduled revenue flights launched

On March 13, 2006, Volaris launched its 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: U.S.-bound flights begin

In April 2009, Volaris announced the commencement of U.S.-bound flights from Toluca and Guadalajara to Los Angeles and Oakland, designed to feed into Southwest Airlines' hubs.

July 2010: Televisa and Inbursa sell stake

In July 2010, Grupo Televisa and Inbursa sold their stakes in Volaris. The ownership structure of Volaris changed, with TACA Airlines holding 50% through Roberto and Maria Cristina Kriete, Discovery Americas holding over 25%, and Indigo Partners (led by Bill Franke) also holding a stake.

September 2010: Volaris began service to Mexico City

In September 2010, Volaris expanded its service to Mexico City, taking over flight routes from the defunct Mexican airlines Aerocalifornia and Mexicana.

March 2011: Toluca hub move announced

In March 2011, Volaris announced that it would be moving its hub in Toluca to Guadalajara.

2011: Guadalajara as American gateway hub

In late 2011, Volaris began utilizing Guadalajara International Airport as an American gateway hub, after Mexicana de Aviación's shutdown.

June 2012: VClub launched and PayPal integration

In June 2012, Volaris launched VClub, a frequent flyer program offering special fares and other perks, with savings of up to 40%. Also in June 2012, Volaris integrated PayPal as a payment option on its website for ticket purchases.

September 2012: Codeshare partnership with Condor announced

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

February 2013: End of codesharing with Southwest

In February 2013, Volaris and Southwest Airlines discontinued their codesharing agreement due to Southwest's increased focus on the Mexican market with AirTran Airways.

March 13, 2013: Seventh anniversary celebration

On March 13, 2013, Volaris celebrated its seventh anniversary and offered passengers a 70% discount on all flights, an event that has been repeated annually since then.

March 2016: Volaris Costa Rica creation announced

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

November 2016: Volaris Costa Rica operations started

In November 2016, Volaris Costa Rica, a subsidiary of Volaris based at Juan Santamaría International Airport in San José, Costa Rica, commenced operations.

January 2018: Codeshare agreement with Frontier Airlines

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

2019: Discontinuation of in-flight entertainment

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