Volaris Connects Yucatán State And California With Four Weekly Mérida-Oakland Flights

Volaris Connects Yucatán State and California With Four Weekly Mérida-Oakland Flights Mérida’s International Airport Prepares to Offer On-site Covid-19 Testing as of Jan. 26

The state of Yucatán added a new international route on Jan. 18, when Volaris started operations of its Mérida, Yucatán (MID), to Oakland, California (OAK), route which will connect the two destinations four times a week. The carrier will fly Airbus A320 planes on the route, with arrivals in Mérida every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.

"We are very happy to be able to materialize what we announced at the end of last year with a new route to Oakland that now connects us with northern California and which, added to the route with Tijuana, will give us an outstanding presence in that important market,” said Michelle Fridman Hirsch, Minister of Tourism for the state of Yucatán. “Moreover, we are pleased that we were able to confirm the new route while maintaining the strict health and wellness standard we have set for all of our industry partners.”

Volaris is the first airline to apply for and receive the Ministry’s Certificate of Good Sanitary Practices, as well as the World Travel Council (WTTC) “Safe Travels” seal, aligning itself closely to the proactive work done by the state of Yucatan in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Currently the Ministry of Tourism is working with local authorities to operate a testing facility at the Mérida airport which will be available by Jan. 26 to fulfill the testing requirements of the U.S. and Canada.

To date, Yucatán maintains a recovery of 70% in domestic routes and 81% with respect to the recovery of international seats. The flight to Oakland is a new international route to the destination and a firm step in the recovery of air connectivity, after the declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.

California is one of the most populous states in the U.S. and with one of the strongest economies in North America. According to reports from the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI), there are an estimated 180,000 Yucatecan migrants abroad, of which 87% are in the U.S. The three U.S. cities with the most Yucatecan residents — San Francisco, Los Angeles and Oakland — are all in California. Additionally, San Francisco and Oakland offer immense tourism and commercial potential for Yucatán in the medium and long term.