Cancún Airport: From Jungle Airstrip to Global Hub

Cancún, Quintana Roo — During a conference series titled "The First Cancún," held as part of the city’s 55th anniversary celebrations, four founding members shared a retrospective look at the origins of Cancún’s first airport, including its iconic straw control tower. The event, organized by Fundadores de Cancún, A.C. and Pioneros de Cancún, A.C., featured Manuel Chino Castro, Fernando Ramírez, Guillermo Águila, and Pedro Solís, who recounted the airport’s early days through photographs and anecdotes from the 1970s.

From a Makeshift Airstrip to a Global Hub

Before becoming one of the world’s most visited tourist destinations, Cancún was an undeveloped stretch of jungle and untouched beaches. The city’s first airport began as an improvised dirt runway approximately 1,500 meters long, primarily used to transport engineers, surveyors, officials, and construction materials for the city’s initial development.

As the project progressed and the first hotels were established, the need for a formal airport became evident. In 1973, the first commercial flight—a DC-6 operated by Mexicana de Aviación—landed on the provisional airstrip. The following year, in 1974, the Cancún International Airport was officially inaugurated with a paved runway, expanded operational capacity, and the necessary infrastructure to handle domestic and international flights.

The Iconic Straw Control Tower

The original control tower, constructed from local wood, remained in operation until 1976 before being dismantled. Today, a replica stands at the intersection of Avenida Tulum and Kabah. The new terminal played a pivotal role in Cancún’s tourism boom, facilitating the arrival of international visitors in the early years of the city’s growth.

A Modern Aviation Powerhouse

Over the decades, Cancún International Airport has undergone significant expansion. As of 2025, it ranks as Mexico’s second-busiest airport, trailing only Mexico City’s airport. The facility now features two simultaneously operational runways, four terminals, and an FBO (Fixed-Base Operator). It serves as a key hub for domestic and international flights, connecting to nearly every major destination in Mexico, the United States, and Canada, as well as select routes in South America and Europe.

The conference highlighted the airport’s remarkable transformation from a rudimentary airstrip to a critical global aviation hub, underscoring its role in Cancún’s rise as a premier tourist destination.