US Airlines have begun to operate flights to the Puerto Vallarta-Riviera Nayarit region on routes that are traditionally flown only during the winter months, such as Alaska Airlines and Delta Airlines and their flights from Portland, Seattle, and Salt Lake City.
Although May is a month when there is generally decreases in flights to Puerto Vallarta, prior to the summer season, this time an atypical situation is occurring with an increase in the number of flights compared to last month, according to the data issued by Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico (GAP).
GAP, the operator of the Puerto Vallarta International Airport “Licenciado Gustavo Díaz Ordaz” (PVR) reported that 14 airlines will be flying to the region that will make an average of 47 flights per day, for a total of 1,474 flights during the month.
This is the result of an announcement recently issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the United States that US citizens who have already received the two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine should feel comfortable with travel. To date, more than 53% of Americans have already received at least one dose, a percentage only surpassed by Israel and the United Kingdom.
“Given that the United States is very advanced in its vaccination process, what we are now seeing is that some airlines are beginning to operate routes that are generally active only in the winter,” said Marc Murphy, General Director of the Riviera Nayarit Convention and Visitors Bureau (OVC).
As of May, United and Alaska remain the airlines with the most flights to this region, averaging 28 and 64 a week, respectively. While national airlines, Aeroméxico / Aerolitoral offer the most flights to Puerto Vallarta, with 44 flights per week on average.
As of Sunday, May 2, Viva Aerobus began operating the Ciudad Juárez-PVR / Riviera Nayarit route, with two flights a week (Thursday and Sunday), in what will be a non-stop flight with one duration of 2 hours and 10 minutes. Previously, those who traveled to Puerto Vallarta from Ciudad Juárez had to make a stopover in Guadalajara, Monterrey, or Mexico City.