After two months, last Tuesday Vuela El Salvador S.A. de C.V. (Volaris Salvador) received its Air Operator Certificate (AOC) and Operating Permit (OP) from the Salvadoran Civil Aviation Authority, for having successfully completed the certification process governing civil aviation in the Central American country.
This makes it the first low-cost airline in the country and the third in Central America. The new Volaris subsidiary ensures its expansion plan in the region dominated by Avianca Holdings, which also has a hub at El Salvador’s San Oscar Romero International Airport.
“Our mission as a government institution is to work on projects that promote the development of the air sector of our country, where our technical team joins the articulated work for the early start of operations of Volaris as an airline with national flag,” the CAA reported yesterday on its social network account.
“At Volaris we continue our expansion plans derived from the recovery we have had. This operating certificate helps us consolidate our growth plan in Central America, by strengthening regional air connectivity so that more people can visit friends and family every day or continue to develop businesses that encourage economic recovery at low cost,” said Enrique Beltranena, president and CEO of Volaris.
Initially, on September 15 it will start operations between Mexico and San Salvador, currently operated by Volaris Mexico. On October 15, the Salvadoran subsidiary will fly to Cancun (CUN) and on October 31 to San Pedro Sula (SAL) in Honduras.
Volaris began operations in Central America in 2015 through Volaris Mexico (Y4). In 2016 Volaris Costa Rica (Q6) obtained its AOC, connecting to Guatemala and other airports in the region.
Volaris El Salvador (N3) will initially have an Airbus A320ceo with registration N523VL. The Costa Rican subsidiary has three Airbus A319s and the Mexican subsidiary has 38 A320ceo, 32 A320neo and sixteen A321neo.
The network of destinations in Central America will be:
| Country | From | Destinations |
| Costa Rica | San José (SJO) | Guatemala (GUA), Cancún (CUN), México (MEX), San Salvador (SAL) |
| Guatemala | Guatemala (GUA | Cancún (CUN), Los Ángeles (LAX), México (MEX), San Salvador (SAL) |
| El Salvador | San Salvador (SAL) | Cancún (CUN), Los Ángeles (LAX), México (MEX), Nueva York (JFK), San Pedro Sula (SAP), Washington (IAD) |
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