Tulum Airport: everything you need to know

The Tulum Airport, officially Felipe Carrillo Puerto International Airport, much anticipated, has finally opened. Starting last Friday, there will be five domestic flights each day, and many international routes will follow shortly.

What airlines are flying to Tulum Airport?

The new airport will get two daily Aeroméxico flights from Mexico City International Airport (AICM) and Viva Aerobus services from AICM and Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA), which is located immediately north of Mexico City, during its initial phase of operations.

The initial flights, according to Viva Aerobus, will have an average occupancy of 94.5%, highlighting how well-liked the Caribbean destination’s white sand beaches and Maya ruins are. In its first month of operation, the new airport anticipates 700,000 passengers.

International carriers, including as United Airlines, Delta, Spirit, and others, are scheduled to arrive in March. Also, Mexico’s resurrected army-run Mexicana airline is expected to begin operations from the airport on December 26.

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ATL, LA, Miami, Chicago, Houston, Newark, and other U.S. cities will be the first foreign locations to link to Tulum. However, the airport can also handle flights to far-off places like Alaska, Istanbul, and Tokyo.

What is the airport like?

A 3.7-kilometer runway and a terminal that can accommodate 5.5 million people annually are among the airport’s amenities.

The Olmeca-Maya-Mexica Airport and Railroad Group (GAFSACOMM), which is overseen by the National Defense Ministry, has stated that high levels of anticipated demand may necessitate infrastructure expansion in ten years.

Felipe Carrillo Puerto International is situated 25 kilometers southwest of Tulum’s center on a 1,200-hectare plot of land. The airport’s development has advanced remarkably quickly; planning started on October 1, 2022, and building started on June 13.

A road spanning 12.5 kilometers was constructed using an extra 300 hectares of land to link the airport with Federal Highway 307. As a result, the facility will have communication not just with Tulum itself but also with the soon-to-open Maya Train station in Tulum and other locations throughout the Yucatán peninsula.

Captain Luis Fernando Arizmendi Hernández, the head of construction, stated that the project generated over 17,000 civilian jobs. It is anticipated that the airport would keep bringing in money and jobs to the area, not only from tourists but also from other sectors like auto supplies and agri-food.

Many people are optimistic about the surge of development this destination is predicted to bring to one of Mexico’s poorer regions. However, some are concerned about the quick commercialization of this once-pristine and laid-back area.