Mexico (AFP) – Aeroméxico and Volaris airlines announced the suspension of their flights to Tulum international airport, one of the most popular destinations in the Mexican Caribbean, citing cost increases and low occupancy of the planes that cover the route.
First modification: 02/10/2026 - 19:12
Tulum, a paradise resort with turquoise waters and archaeological remains of the Mayan culture, has seen tourist arrivals plummet by 33.6% between January and August of this year compared to the same period in 2025, according to official data.
The decline also affects Cancun, the crown jewel of beach tourism in Mexico that receives almost 50% of travelers. Here, passenger arrivals fell 6.3% in the first eight months of the year.
Volaris informed AFP this Thursday that the suspension of flights to Tulum responds to the increase in costs faced by the industry, such as the tax on non-residents (tourists), the airport use fee, fuel and navigation services.
"We have had to review the profitability of our routes and temporarily suspend some flights that register lower load factors," including those to Tulum, starting January 7, 2027, the airline detailed in a statement.
He added that "this weekend" he will stop selling tickets after that date.
Aeroméxico, the country's largest airline, explained for its part that the suspension of flights to Tulum, in effect since Wednesday, "is based on current market conditions" that "have impacted various airlines."
The company will continue to "monitor the behavior of demand" to evaluate the possibility of changes "in the future," a spokesperson said Wednesday night in an email to AFP.
Industry reports attribute the decline in tourism to the Mexican Caribbean to factors such as the impact of sargassum on beaches and rising costs, both for tourists and airlines.
The Tulum international airport was inaugurated in 2023 by then-president Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who ordered its construction to decongest the Cancún terminal.
© 2026 AFP
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