Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - In preparation for what is expected to be a record high season for Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, airlines continue to announce new flights.

Southwest Airlines will start a new flight from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to the Lic. Gustavo Díaz Ordaz International Airport (PVR), beginning December 4, 2016. Late last month, the airline received additional approval from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to fly between Oakland International Airport and Puerto Vallarta. Pending approval from the Mexican government, this new service in Northern California would begin Feb. 12, 2017.

American Airlines is also scheduled to operate a new daily direct flight from LAX to PVR, beginning December 15, 2016.

Other new flights announced this year include direct flights from Chicago on Frontier Airlines and from Poland on Polish Airlines. Upon approval from the DOT, Mexican airline Volaris will schedule a new route to PVR from LAX.

To accommodate the new flights and record-high influx of tourists, the Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board announced that airport, local and national authorities had approved an $8 million budget to renovate the immigration and customs areas of the airport.