Volaris is the first airline to confirm that it will operate services to and from the new Mexico City airport currently under construction on an air force base north of the capital.

The low-cost carrier announced Wednesday that it will begin flights to and from the Felipe Ángeles International Airport on March 21, 2022.

That’s the date by which the federal government has said the airport – which the army is building on the Santa Lucía Air Force base – will be ready to begin operations. Volaris said it will initially operate daily flights to and from Tijuana and Cancún.

The airline said in a statement that its decision to begin using the airport was based on a “comprehensive analysis” that considered a range of factors including construction progress, advances in the certification process and safety.

“The airline concluded that operating at this airport will be viable,” Volaris said. The airline said the new flights to Tijuana and Cancún will be additional to services it currently operates out of the existing Mexico City airport.

It said there is a market of 4.8 million potential passengers in the immediate proximity of the new airport, located about 45 kilometers north of central Mexico City in the México state municipality of Zumpango.

Volaris, which operates at 43 Mexican airports and flies internationally, said it currently transports about 25 million passengers per year.

“Our leadership in the domestic Mexican market and experience in operational safety were crucial in the decision to reach a new destination to continue democratizing air transport in Mexico,” said Volaris general director Enrique Beltranena.

The army general responsible for the construction of the new airport welcomed the airline’s decision.

“Receiving the support of the airline with the greatest growth in the national territory … is an honor,” Gustavo Ricardo Vallejo Suárez said.

Tickets for the first flights to arrive at and depart from the new airport are on sale on the Volaris website.

With reports from El Universal