In the Mexican aviation sector, it’s becoming fashionable to talk about the collapse in supply and demand for air transport at the “Felipe Carrillo Puerto” International Airport in Tulum , Quintana Roo. It’s claimed that the airport has registered contractions of around 30% in passenger numbers so far in 2026 compared to the previous year. The Quintana Roo Tourism Secretariat has attempted to downplay the situation, arguing that the decrease in flight frequencies is due to a global economic situation in the airline industry (fleet shortages and airline route reorganizations), dismissing the notion that it’s a failure exclusive to the state.
I recall mentioning this in a column in the past: For several years, given the saturation of the Cancun Airport and the growth of the tourism sector in that region, there was room for a new airport in the Tulum area. So much so that then-President Felipe Calderón planned to build a new airport terminal called the “Riviera Maya Airport” on a site about 15 kilometers from Tulum. This distance and travel time contrast sharply with the more than 40 kilometers separating it from the “Felipe Carrillo Puerto” airport, a factor that, it must be acknowledged, is significantly impacting the militarized airport that was finally built and put into operation in December 2023. Travel times, the scarcity of ground transportation options, and their cost are some of the main complaints about the latter .
It’s impossible to deny that not only Tulum and the Riviera Maya, but indeed all of Mexico’s main tourist destinations are experiencing challenging times in terms of visitor numbers, especially from abroad. This is attributable to perceived insecurity, environmental concerns, and high prices, as well as the changing purchasing power of domestic tourists. Furthermore, as with its sister airport, the Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA) , the unique modus operandi of the Ministry of National Defense , which holds the concessions, has demonstrably plagued the airport with the same shortcomings in planning, execution, and operation that have characterized civilian projects, not only those of the Ministry of Defense itself—a prime example being the Maya Train —but also those of the Ministry of the Navy .
I believe that if the federal government had entrusted the Tulum airport project to private individuals, whether Mexican, foreign, or a combination of both, which, I insist, has something as important as a potentially demonstrable demand, the results would be very different.
Even so, I believe that this airport infrastructure has some potential in the medium and long term , provided, of course, that the Mexican Caribbean maintains its attractiveness to tourism from our country and abroad, something that remains to be seen.
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