Alaska Airlines Seeks Government Approval to Begin Seattle-Cancun, Mexico, Service

SEATTLE, April 7, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Alaska Airlines submitted its application today to begin seasonal nonstop service between Seattle and Cancun, Mexico. Pending approval by the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Mexico Direccion General de Aeronautica Civil (DGAC), the airline plans to begin its daily service to Cancun on Nov. 6.

"As Seattle's leading airline, we're committed to offering the most nonstop service to the popular destinations our customers want to explore, including leisure hotspots like Cancun," said Joe Sprague, vice president of marketing. "Customers taking Alaska Airlines' flight to Cancun will enjoy our award-winning service and low fares."

Known for its 14-mile pristine Caribbean beach and all-inclusive resorts, Cancun is a short ferry ride to the turtle farms of Isla Mujeres and a two-hour drive from Chichen Itza, a massive Maya archaeological site and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

Alaska Airlines introduced service to Mexico in 1988 and operates more nonstop flights between the West Coast and Mexico than any other carrier, flying an average of 1.5 million passengers a year. Alaska already serves six Mexico beach destinations — Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo, Loreto, Los Cabos, Manzanillo, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta — in addition to Guadalajara and Mexico City.

With the new flights, Alaska Airlines will now offer 279 peak-day departures nonstop to 79 destinations from Seattle, more than any other carrier.

Summary of new daily Seattle service: 
Seattle – New Orleans: starting June 12
Seattle – Tampa: starting June 20
Seattle – Baltimore: starting Sept. 2
Seattle – Detroit: starting Sept. 4
Seattle – Albuquerque: starting Sept. 18
Seattle – Cancun: starting Nov. 6 pending governmental approval

When approved, the Seattle-Cancun route will be operated with Boeing 737 aircraft. Flight times and introductory fares will be available on alaskaair.com after the DOT approves the request, which takes up to four weeks.

Alaska Airlines, a subsidiary of Alaska Air Group ALK, together with its partner regional airlines, serves nearly 100 cities through an expansive network in Alaska, the Lower 48, Hawaii, Canada and Mexico. For reservations, visit www.alaskaair.com. For more news and information, visit the Alaska Airlines Newsroom at www.alaskaair.com/newsroom.

SOURCE Alaska Airlines