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Originally Posted by mklunder13
Could you post the article in the forum? Don't have an account so I can't read.
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Volaris’ recent launch of daily nonstop flights between San Antonio International Airport and Mexico City International Airport is more than just another airline win for the Alamo City.
Local leaders believe the commitment from the Mexican carrier should be further motivation to try and position the Alamo City as the aeronautic gateway between the U.S. and Latin America.
Volaris, which already offered flights between San Antonio and Guadalajara, is expanding its relationship with the Alamo City. On Sept. 15, the airline flew its first aircraft from Mexico City to San Antonio International.
San Antonio Tourism Council President and CEO Marco Barros said the investment by Volaris is an indication that there is pent-up demand and a real opportunity to position the city as a key point of connectivity with multiple Mexican destinations, a well as with markets in Central and South America.
“A lot of people from Austin are already coming here to get into Mexico. If we can have great connections to Cabos San Lucas and a few other destinations, we will pick up more and more passengers,” Barros said. “We’ve seen the trend. Every time a Mexican carrier starts service here, it attracts more and more international travelers. So this [Volaris expansion] is a huge gain.”
But Barros believes there is plenty of demand for more flights to additional markets — including destinations such as Panama City.
“If we can get one or two connecting flights out of Panama City, we could own entry to Latin America,” Barros said.
The first step is to pursue additional opportunities to better connect with Mexico.
“We need to become the front door to Mexico,” Barros said.
That’s where airlines like Volaris could play a critical role, helping connect San Antonio with more Latin American destinations.
“San Antonio represents an important market for us. Around half of the population of the San Antonio metropolitan area — about 2 million people — is Hispanic. That’s why we are targeting San Antonio,” said Juliana Ramirez, manager of ancillary revenue for Volaris. “We have a big team of analysts who are analyzing the demand. If we see that customers want this, we will definitely look at expansion opportunities in San Antonio.”
Barros said there is an opportunity and an economic incentive for San Antonio to better connect with key cities in countries like Argentina, Brazil and Chile.
San Antonio Aviation Director Russ Handy said the idea of positioning the Alamo City as a major connection point with Latin America is not so far fetched.
“Given interest from our Mexican airline partners, we are examining how we would handle such business logistically,” he said. “We frequently engage with them on market possibilities and would welcome the possibility of growing our connections from here to become that gateway to Mexico and beyond.”
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