Number of Summer 2021 Flights Between US, Mexico Higher Than 2019

Aviation experts are reporting the number of international flights between the United States and Mexico scheduled this summer will be higher than it was in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), a total of 151,900 flights are scheduled between destinations in Mexico and the U.S. during the seven-month “summer” period between the end of March and the end of October.

The rise in summer travel to an estimated 23 million available seats is a six percent increase from the total number of flights between the two countries during the same period in 2019.

In total, 13 carriers will fly regular routes between Mexico and the U.S. this summer, including American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Frontier, JetBlue, Spirit, Southwest, United Airlines and more.

“Currently, the Mexico-U.S. cross-border market remains the largest country pair, representing 2.5 times the amount of capacity of the next biggest country pair,” Midas Aviation commercial vice-president Rene Armas Maes told Mexico News Daily.

The lack of coronavirus-related testing restrictions for arriving visitors continues to make Mexico one of the most viable options for American travelers, many of whom have already received at least a partial vaccination.

Last week, hotels and resorts in popular Mexican Caribbean destinations reported bookings of 50 percent for the Spring Break and Easter holiday travel period, a significant increase from coronavirus-reduced occupancy averages.

In March, reports surfaced that U.S. President Joe Biden and his administration are considering relaxing land border closures with Mexico and Canada “toward the middle of May.”