Southwest to add seasonal flights from Indianapolis to Mexico

Southwest Airlines plans to add weekly nonstop flights from Indianapolis to Cancun, Mexico, starting in March, the carrier announced Thursday.

The seasonal flights to Cancun International Airport will operate on Saturdays from March 10, 2018, through summer 2018.

Southwest, which has served Indianapolis International Airport since 1989, is already the airport’s largest carrier. It currently offers nonstop service from Indianapolis to 18 cities, including seasonal June-through-August service to San Diego that launched last month.

“Now they’re adding their first international flight out of Indy, which sends a clear message that Southwest has strong confidence in the Indy market for further domestic and international growth and expansion,” airport Executive Director Mario Rodriguez said in a written statement.

With the new route, Southwest will become the third carrier to offer seasonal service from Indianapolis to Cancun. Delta Airlines and Vacation Express also offer seasonal nonstop routes to Cancun.

Southwest also released its second-quarter earnings report Thursday morning. The company said profit fell 9 percent in the quarter, to $746 million, as operating revenue rose to a quarterly record of $5.7 billion.

The airline said the new Cancun flights are part of the carrier’s ongoing efforts to “fine tune its network and introduce new markets that not only strengthen its customer brand appeal, but also support its revenue and profitability targets.”