Milwaukee, Wisconsin - Mexican-based carrier Volaris will begin international flights from Milwaukee to Guadalajara in March, Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele said.

Volaris will become the first Mexican carrier to offer year-round scheduled service from Milwaukee's General Mitchell International Airport. Volaris is an "ultra-low-cost" carrier based in Mexico City, and is Mexico's second-largest airline.

"This is a big deal for Mitchell Airport, Milwaukee County and the entire region," said Abele. "It's a very involved process to convince an international airline to invest its resources in a new market. I thank Senators (Ron) Johnson and (Tammy) Baldwin for their support throughout the process and commend the MKE international airport team for achieving service from Volaris. This is great news for the rapidly growing Hispanic populations in Milwaukee and northern Illinois. The Guadalajara nonstop will also benefit the recently-opened Mexican Consulate in Milwaukee."

In addition to the newly opened Mexican consulate in the city, Milwaukee was chosen as the host city for the League of United Latin American Citizens 2019 Convention, which will bring about 20,000 people to Milwaukee over five days.

Nearly 600,000 people of Hispanic descent reside in Wisconsin or northern Illinois. A number of Milwaukee-area corporations have major presences in Mexico, including Johnson Controls, Kohler, ManpowerGroup, Quad/Graphics and Rockwell Automation.

Volaris' Milwaukee flights will operate two days per week on Airbus A320 aircraft, featuring 174 leather seats. Passengers can bring one carry-on bag and one checked bag at no charge. The nonstop flights to Guadalajara begin on March 3 and will operate every Wednesday and Friday, departing Milwaukee at 12:32 am and arriving in Guadalajara at 5:02 am. Return flights begin March 2 and will depart Guadalajara every Tuesday and Thursday at 4:53 pm and arrive in Milwaukee at 8:55 pm.

Guadalajara is the capital of Jalisco, which is a sister state to Wisconsin. At approximately 4.2 million people, the Guadalajara metropolitan area is the second-largest in Mexico.

"The new nonstop to Guadalajara will make travel to Mexico much easier and quicker for travelers from across Wisconsin, including Madison, the Fox Valley and Green Bay," airport director Izzy Bonilla said. "The ability to fly nonstop to Guadalajara will increase trade opportunities with Mexico and provide better options for families to connect with loved ones. We look forward to a long partnership with Volaris at MKE."