Cancun Airport Reports Record Passenger Traffic

Last Updated 2 years ago

Cancun International Airport is reporting record passenger traffic as millions of people flock to the city and the Mexican Caribbean for their summer holidays. With 44 direct flights from the United States alone, traveling to the Mexican Caribbean has never been easier. Several large international airlines including Air Canada and TUI have already announced new flights for the upcoming fall season. 

More than 17 million people traveled through Cancun International Airport between January and July this year. The figure is more than 1.8 million above that of the corresponding period in 2019 and shows that international travel continues to make a steady comeback after two years of entry restrictions and strict health measures.

Due to record passenger numbers as well as peaks of more than 600 daily flights, visitors can expect packed terminals and long lines. Combined with the ongoing highway renovations around the airport, arriving and departing passengers are being warned to add at least an hour to their commute, with some airlines asking passengers to show up at the airport 4 hours prior to departure.

Passenger numbers are at their highest around summertime. Recent months, especially July, have seen several records broken when it comes to Cancun’s popularity. Data published by the state’s number-crunching agency shows that there are more than 400,000 tourists per day in Quintana Roo. The numbers are testament to the Mexican Caribbean’s continued popularity as a summer holiday destination, with Cancun consistently ranking among the most popular international destinations for U.S travelers.

With more than 12% more passengers than in 2019, Cancun authorities are expecting the positive trend to continue as more airlines announce flights to the destination. If the ongoing dynamic continues throughout the year, it is highly likely that the yearly passenger record will also be broken.

According to the Southeast Airport Group (Asur), international passengers made up the overwhelming majority of passenger traffic at Cancun airport. With more than 11,8 million international visitors, most flights originated in the United States and Canada, followed by European destinations. The United States remains the most important international market for Cancun, and visitors can currently fly there from 44 cities across the country.

With more than 6 out of 10 of all visitors in Cancun flying from the U.S, there are 10 more flights now than in 2019. Meanwhile, the airport welcomed 5,6 million Mexican travelers in the first 7 months of the year. At the same time, Cancun airport saw the second-fastest growth rate out of all airports in Mexico. 

Airlines Announce New Cancun Flights

The past month has seen a flurry of new flights announced to Cancun by large international airlines. Air Canada, TUI, and several European airlines are just a few examples of the growing number of airlines that will have connections to the Caribbean destination, many of which are programmed for the fall period.

Air Canada will fly from Toronto to Cozumel beginning in October, whereas TUI will fly up to 12 times from the UK to Cancun in November 2022, with flights also originating from the Nordic countries. Iberojet also announced new twice-weekly Barcelona-Cancun flights until mid-September.

Several U.S airlines are also scheduling more Cancun flights over the summer, with Southwest flying there daily from San Antonio. Meanwhile, Frontier is betting big on Cancun this summer, with weekly flights from its Houston airports. With Tulum airport set to open in 2023, airlines already have their eyes set on the lucrative destinations, with more flights to be announced there. 

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