Volaris Reports December 2025 Traffic Results: Load Factor of 84%
Rhea-AI Summary
Volaris (NYSE: VLRS) reported preliminary December 2025 traffic: ASMs +9.5% and RPMs +5.1% year‑over‑year, with consolidated load factor at 84.1% and 3.0 million passengers carried in December. International RPMs rose 10.7% and international ASMs increased 17.0%, while domestic RPMs were up 1.3%. Year‑to‑date trends show total RPMs +3.2% and ASMs +6.3%. Management said severe weather at Tijuana reduced planned ASMs in the domestic network but affirmed the company begins 2026 focused on flexibility, execution, and passenger value. Figures are preliminary and unaudited.
Positive
- International ASMs +17.0% in December
- International RPMs +10.7% in December
- YTD total RPMs +3.2% through Dec 2025
Negative
- Consolidated load factor down 3.5 percentage points to 84.1%
- Domestic load factor down 2.3 percentage points in December
- Severe weather in Tijuana reduced planned domestic ASMs
News Market Reaction
On the day this news was published, VLRS gained 2.81%, reflecting a moderate positive market reaction.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.
Key Figures
Market Reality Check
Peers on Argus
While VLRS is up 0.22%, key ULCC/airline peers (SNCY, ALGT, ULCC, JBLU) show modest declines, and FLYX is down 6.27%, indicating today’s setup looks more stock-specific than sector-driven.
Historical Context
| Date | Event | Sentiment | Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 18 | Strategic alliance | Positive | +4.7% | Formation of new Mexican airline group with Viva under holding company. |
| Dec 04 | Traffic update | Negative | -1.1% | November traffic with lower load factor despite RPM and ASM growth. |
| Nov 29 | Operational safety | Positive | +0.7% | Completion of EASA-mandated A320 inspections with no cancellations, minimal delays. |
| Nov 05 | Traffic update | Negative | +6.6% | October traffic with RPM decline and reduced load factor year-over-year. |
| Nov 03 | Fleet expansion | Positive | -0.6% | Delivery of five A320neo Family aircraft via sale-and-leaseback with CDB Aviation. |
Recent traffic and operational updates often show mixed alignment between news tone and next-day price, with both positive and negative divergences.
Over the last few months, Volaris has combined steady traffic updates with strategic and operational milestones. Traffic releases for October and November 2025 showed modest ASM growth but softer load factors, while a December 2025 alliance announcement with Viva aimed to expand ULCC connectivity under a new Mexican airline group. Operationally, Volaris completed EASA-mandated A320 inspections with no cancellations and minimal delays. A separate fleet transaction added five A320neo Family aircraft via sale-and-leaseback, supporting its fleet optimization strategy. Today’s December traffic data extends this pattern of growth with some load factor pressure.
Market Pulse Summary
This announcement reports December 2025 traffic with solid capacity and demand growth but a lower consolidated load factor of 84.1%, down 3.5 percentage points year-over-year. ASMs grew 9.5% and RPMs 5.1%, with international demand outpacing domestic. Year-to-date, RPMs reached 30,453 million and ASMs 36,118 million, indicating continued network expansion. When assessing this update, investors may watch future traffic releases for trends in load factor, capacity discipline, and the balance between domestic and international growth.
Key Terms
revenue passenger miles (rpms) technical
available seat miles (asms) technical
load factor technical
ultra-low-cost carrier (ulcc) technical
AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.
MEXICO CITY, Jan. 08, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Controladora Vuela Compañía de Aviación, S.A.B. de C.V. (NYSE: VLRS and BMV: VOLAR) (“Volaris” or “the Company”), the ultra-low-cost carrier (ULCC) serving Mexico, the United States, Central and South America, reports its December 2025 preliminary traffic results.
In December, Volaris’ ASM capacity increased
Enrique Beltranena, Volaris’ President and CEO, said: “In December, demand in our markets reflected a return to historical seasonality and the ongoing recovery in our cross-border VFR market. In the domestic market, we flew fewer ASMs than planned due to prolonged severe weather at our key origin airport in Tijuana and resulting impacts across our network. Notwithstanding these disruptions, we begin 2026 well-positioned, focused on flexibility, execution, and value for our passengers.”
| Dec 2025 | Dec 2024 | Variance | YTD Dec 2025 | YTD Dec 2024 | Variance | |||||||
| RPMs (million, scheduled & charter) | ||||||||||||
| Domestic | 1,680 | 1,658 | 18,617 | 18,161 | ||||||||
| International | 1,231 | 1,112 | 11,836 | 11,344 | ||||||||
| Total | 2,911 | 2,770 | 5.1% | 30,453 | 29,505 | 3.2% | ||||||
| ASMs (million, scheduled & charter) | ||||||||||||
| Domestic | 1,892 | 1,820 | 20,927 | 20,030 | ||||||||
| International | 1,569 | 1,340 | 15,191 | 13,960 | ||||||||
| Total | 3,461 | 3,161 | 9.5% | 36,118 | 33,990 | 6.3% | ||||||
| Load Factor (%, RPMs/ASMs) | ||||||||||||
| Domestic | (2.3) pp | (1.7) pp | ||||||||||
| International | (4.5) pp | (3.3) pp | ||||||||||
| Total | 84.1% | 87.6% | (3.5) pp | 84.3% | 86.8% | (2.5) pp | ||||||
| Passengers (thousand, scheduled & charter) | ||||||||||||
| Domestic | 2,093 | 1,984 | 22,799 | 21,705 | ||||||||
| International | 868 | 777 | 8,195 | 7,768 | ||||||||
| Total | 2,961 | 2,761 | 7.2% | 30,995 | 29,473 | 5.2% | ||||||
The information included in this report has not been audited and does not provide information on the Company’s future performance. Volaris’ future performance depends on several factors. It cannot be inferred that any period’s performance or its comparison year-over-year will indicate a similar performance in the future. Figures are rounded for convenience purposes.
Glossary
Revenue passenger miles (RPMs): Number of seats booked by passengers multiplied by the number of miles flown.
Available seat miles (ASMs): Number of seats available for passengers multiplied by the number of miles flown.
Load factor: RPMs divided by ASMs and expressed as a percentage.
Passengers: The total number of passengers booked on all flight segments.
VFR: Visiting Friends and Relatives.
Investor Relations Contact
Liliana Juárez / ir@volaris.com
Media Contact
Ricardo Flores / rflores@gcya.net
About Volaris
*Controladora Vuela Compañía de Aviación, S.A.B. de C.V. (“Volaris” or “the Company”) (NYSE: VLRS and BMV: VOLAR) is an ultra-low-cost carrier, with point-to-point operations, serving Mexico, the United States, Central, and South America. Volaris offers low base fares to build its market, providing quality service and extensive customer choice. Since the beginning of operations in March 2006, Volaris has increased its routes from 5 to more than 222 and its fleet from 4 to 155 aircraft. Volaris offers around 550 daily flight segments on routes that connect 44 cities in Mexico and 29 cities in the United States, Central, and South America, with one of the youngest fleets in Mexico. Volaris targets passengers who are visiting friends and relatives, cost-conscious business and leisure travelers in Mexico, the United States, Central, and South America. For more information, please visit ir.volaris.com. Volaris routinely posts information that may be important to investors on its investor relations website. The Company encourages investors and potential investors to consult the Volaris website regularly for important information about Volaris.
FAQ
What were Volaris (VLRS) December 2025 ASMs and RPMs?
What was Volaris' (VLRS) load factor in December 2025?
How many passengers did Volaris (VLRS) carry in December 2025?
How did Volaris' (VLRS) international traffic perform in Dec 2025?
Did operational disruptions affect Volaris (VLRS) December 2025 capacity?
