Southwest Airlines will begin flying next June to two new nonstop destinations out of John Wayne Airport: Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and Austin, Texas.
The service expansion was made possible by an October decision from the Orange County Board of Supervisors to allow Southwest up to 15 new flights in 2015, according to airport spokeswoman Jenny Wedge. In addition, Southwest will add a seasonal increase to its Cabo San Lucas service – from one flight to two daily flights from April through August, Wedge said.
Tickets for the new destinations can be booked now, but the Mexico service still is subject to government approval.
“New nonstop routes mean more opportunity for Orange County travelers to get to their favorite destinations from their home airport,” Wedge said.
Southwest spokesman Dan Landson said the increase in Mexico flights is part of an expansion of international service following the airline’s acquisition of AirTran. The integration of the two airlines, which includes outfitting Airtran 737s with new paint and interiors, should be complete on Dec. 28, Landson said.
Contact the writer: kmejdrich@ocregister.com
