Nayarit’s Tepic International Airport will begin its first-ever international service on July 16, establishing a direct connection between Tepic and Los Angeles. Despite holding international status since 2009, the airport has only operated domestic routes until now.
Low-cost carrier Volaris will operate the new service three times weekly—Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Flights will depart LAX at 11:37 a.m., arriving in Tepic at 2:27 p.m., with return flights leaving Tepic at 6:50 p.m. and landing in Los Angeles at 9:48 p.m.
The airport has undergone significant renovations to prepare for international traffic, including a 2.5 billion-peso ($145 million) modernization project featuring an expanded runway, new control tower, and a terminal designed to handle up to 20 million passengers annually. The terminal itself represented an additional investment of 1.6 billion pesos ($93 million).
This new route is expected to benefit both international tourists heading to Riviera Nayarit destinations like Punta Mita and Nuevo Vallarta, as well as Nayarit residents living in California who regularly travel between the regions. Highway improvements are also underway to facilitate access to the airport from coastal destinations.
According to the Mexican Airports Group (AME), 88% of passenger demand in the region has previously been diverted to Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara airports. The organization estimates Riviera Nayarit could potentially capture 10-15% of the annual passenger traffic from these airports, representing over three million passengers yearly.
The airport has already expanded its domestic offerings with a new route to Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA) near Mexico City, launched on May 1 and operated by Viva airlines.
Future plans may include additional international routes to Canada, other U.S. destinations, Central and South America, and Europe.
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