Market Intelligence
Travel and Tourism Guatemala Central America

MI_Guatemala_Airline Connectivity Creates New Opportunities for Travel

Guatemala’s air connectivity has increased with the addition of two new routes and one new airline.   Alaska Airlines, LAX’s largest carrier to Latin America, recently announced that it plans to add Guatemala City’s La Aurora International Airport (GUA) to its network in December 2023 with direct service from Los Angeles’s LAX airport.

Avianca Airlines, one of the largest airlines in Latin America, also has announced that it will begin new air service between Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD) and La Aurora International Airport in Guatemala City on December 13, 2023.

Mexican airline Volaris also announced that beginning November 3, 2023, it will add Guatemala City as the layover stop for its flight from San Salvador to Chicago ORD. 

Guatemala has also benefited from increased regional flights. Aeromar and Arajet are two airlines that recently started operating flights to and from Guatemala. Aeromar began operations less than a year ago and offers two flights per week between Guatemala and Cancun, Mexico. Arajet started operating in September 2022 and currently operates flights to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

These new airlines have increased the number of international destinations served by Guatemala City’s La Aurora International Airport, which is expected to boost tourism and business travel to the country. In 2022, TagAirlines, the flag carrier of Guatemala, carried more than 295,000 passengers, representing a growth of 169 percent compared to the previous year. With the addition of new airlines, this number is expected to increase further.

The new air services between Guatemala and the United States are expected to provide more options for travelers and increase competition, which could lead to lower fares. The expansion of air connectivity is also expected to have a positive impact on the economy, as it will increase trade and investment between the two countries.

For more information, please contact Karla Salas at karla.salas@trade.gov