Los Cabos International Airport (SJD) has never been busier—or more ambitious.
Today you can jet in nonstop from 51 airports around the world, including 32 different U.S. cities, and the route map is still growing.
Yet a curious blank spot remains on the board: Florida.
Below we break down how SJD became one of Mexico’s fastest-expanding gateways, what the next wave of routes looks like (think Panama, Frankfurt, and even Dubai), and why we at The Cabo Sun believe this is only the beginning.
✈️ A Sky-High U.S. Expansion
Just four years ago Los Cabos offered nonstop flights from fewer than 20 American cities.
Today that figure has shot up to 32, ranging from Seattle to Charlotte, thanks to an aggressive push by the tourism board and hungry airlines. Recent additions include daily Ontario, CA service on Volaris and a stack of new Southwest, Alaska, and Viva Aerobus routes announced this summer.
That breadth means the vast majority of U.S. travelers can now reach SJD in one hop—mirroring the accessibility that once set Cancun apart. For Californians, service is so frequent that some passengers are even bypassing LAX and crossing the Tijuana CBX bridge for cheaper fares.
Why It Matters
- More seats, lower prices: Competition on crowded corridors like LAX-SJD and DFW-SJD keeps fares in check.
- Shorter total travel times: Nonstop service trims hours off what used to be two-stop itineraries for cities such as St. Louis and Kansas City.
- Year-round schedules: Many of the “new” links debuted as seasonal test runs and have already been upgraded to permanent timetables.
🌍 Crossing New Oceans
Panama: Cabo’s New Southern Gateway
Beginning December 4, 2025, Copa Airlines will launch the first-ever Central American nonstop to Los Cabos, operating three times a week from its Panama City hub.
The move plugs SJD into Copa’s famed “Hub of the Americas,” opening one-stop access from dozens of South American and Caribbean cities that previously required backtracking through the U.S.
Germany: Condor’s Comeback
European sun-seekers aren’t left out.
Condor revives its twice-weekly Frankfurt–Los Cabos flight each November, providing the only direct link between continental Europe and Baja California Sur.
FITURCA officials say the route routinely sells out during whale-watching season and is already slated through spring 2026.
The Long-Haul Wish List
Behind the scenes, Los Cabos has pitched the destination to Emirates and Turkish Airlines, both of which are evaluating new long-haul aircraft orders and possible Baja routes, according to local tourism insiders.
🇲🇽 Domestic & Canadian Boost
While international headlines grab attention, domestic connectivity has exploded even faster. Viva Aerobus, Volaris, and Aeroméxico now serve 16 Mexican cities, up from just three a decade ago, and additional frequencies are scheduled through 2025. Canadian service keeps pace too, with eight gateways from Vancouver to Montreal feeding winter sun demand.
🏝️ The Florida Gap
Oddly, the Sunshine State is still missing from the nonstop map. A recent deep-dive found zero nonstop flights from Miami, Orlando, Tampa, or Fort Lauderdale to SJD; travelers must connect through Texas, Phoenix, or Mexico City.
Several Florida routes appear as “zero nonstop flights” on airline timetables despite healthy demand, largely because carriers prioritize aircraft on denser trans-continental runs.
🔮 Why This Is Just the Beginning
Los Cabos now welcomes 900+ weekly flights, a figure projected to climb as new terminals and apron expansions come online by 2026. With the airport handling 75 arrivals a day—roughly one every 20 minutes—the infrastructure is racing to keep pace.
Industry analysts point to three tail-winds that all but guarantee more routes:
- Record tourism growth: Visitor counts are on track for an all-time high in 2025, buoyed by luxury resort openings and safety improvements.
- Aircraft technology: Next-gen narrow-bodies like Airbus’s A321XLR will let airlines connect Cabo to East Coast cities (hello, Florida?) profitably.
- Market diversification: FITURCA’s strategy of courting smaller but high-spend markets—think Panama, Germany, and eventually the Gulf—reduces dependence on California and Texas alone.
🧳 Traveler Takeaways
- Shop new gateways: Ontario, Kansas City, and Charlotte all offer fresh nonstops that may undercut big-hub fares.
- Watch Copa’s launch: Central and South Americans will soon skip U.S. visas and connect via Panama—expect more Latin accents on the beach this winter.
- Florida? Not yet: Until a carrier bites, Floridians should price Dallas or Houston connections—or roll the dice on future route announcements.
- Plan ahead: High load factors mean booking 3-4 months out to snag reasonable fares during peak whale-watching and holiday seasons.
Bottom Line
From new U.S. spokes to cross-ocean links, SJD is morphing into a bona-fide global hub—just without the endless terminals and sky-train chaos.
Stay tuned: once Florida and the Middle East finally join the party, reaching paradise will be as easy as boarding a single flight from just about anywhere.
We’ll be first in line (and first in the lounge) to let you know.
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Eric Baime
Thursday 31st of July 2025
Great article on the peculiar lack of nonstops from Los Cabos to Florida. I'm going to throw this out there, so make of it what you will.
Several years ago, I was vacationing in Mazatlan and met with a Mexican airline office. He did not work for any specific airline but was part of the Mexican version of the FAA. He told me that the "Florida gap" was deliberate and was implemented to help maintain Florida tourists in Cancun, for which there are many nonstop flights.
Who knows, there may be a Pulitzer lurking here for some intrepid journalist!
Finally, and as Sherlock Holmes said, “Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.”