Why doesn t Southwest fly to Mexico City anymore?

Southwest has always looked at international as an extension of the US market, and that was the first problem for Mexico City's survival in the network. Since Mexico City is not a big leisure destination for people in the US, it's a market that needs to rely both on business travel and travelers originating in Mexico.



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Dallas-based Southwest says it will cease operations at Benito Juárez Mexico City International Airport on March 30. The carrier, in a statement Thursday , said the resources will be allocated to better opportunities in the existing route network.

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The airport has been open since March 2022. Photo: Guillermo Quiroz Martínez via @gquimar. Mexico City's new Felipe Ángeles International Airport (NLU) carried 299,051 passengers in the first six months of its history, according to data released by the Mexican civil aviation authorities.

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In December of 2020, the low-cost carrier Interjet ceased operations. Aeromar's announcement left Mexico with only three main domestic carriers: Aeromexico and the low-cost airlines Volaris and Viva Aerobus.

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It's not difficult to fly to Mexico City from most places but the return is more challenging becuase the altitude and temperature affect the performance of the engines and the wing. It's the same, or more extreme in Bogota.

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Instead, as travel slowed in 2020, and then as Southwest added new cities in 2021, the airline dropped routes, or point-to-point service. In some cases, it might restore a nonstop flight only to cut it later and shift resources to more in-demand routes.

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Mexico is a safe destination if visitors use common sense and educate themselves about the particular region of the country they are visiting. Due to crime, several regions of Mexico are subject to elevated travel advisories.

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The tourist card required by visitors from the US is called the Forma Migratoria Múltiple (FMM). The FMM is not a visa. It's an entry requirement for all foreign visitors, including Americans. It's mandatory if you plan to travel more than 20 kilometers into Mexican territory and stay more than 72 hours.

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