Budget airline Volaris expands El Salvador-United States routes

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Low-cost carrier Volaris' El Salvador operation will expand its flights to the United States, adding three new routes out of the San Salvador airport, the company said Thursday.

Flights from El Salvador's capital airport will fly direct to Houston, Texas, and Oakland, California, four times a week, along with a thrice-weekly flight to Miami, Florida with a layover in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, Volaris said in a statement.

The routes are scheduled to begin in March 2023 and will double Volaris El Salvador's current offerings, the company said.

The expansion comes as Mexico, where Volaris is based, is prohibited from launching new routes to the United States as it lacks the U.S.' Category 1 aviation safety rating.

Volaris said in October it was budgeting for Mexico to regain the rating by the second half of 2023.

(Reporting by Kylie Madry; Editing by Sandra Maler)