Cancún Airport Travelers Forced to Sit on Floor at Terminal 2

Cancún, Quintana Roo — Passengers booked on flights to Mexico City, Querétaro and Monterrey complained about the lack of dignified waiting spaces at Terminal 2 of Cancún International Airport, saying they were left with nowhere to sit before boarding.

“We have to sit on the floor because there are only about 20 chairs in the entire area. We have two hours before we can get into the boarding zone, and that is a long time to be standing,” said passenger Abraham Rentería, who was backed by fellow traveler Eleonor Castro. Both were waiting in front of the check-in counters after completing their paperwork.

Young people, women traveling with children and older adults were seen sitting on the floor while they waited to move into the boarding lounges. Security personnel, National Guard members and other staff assigned to the terminal also spend long shifts on their feet.

Travelers said they were frustrated both by the shortage of adequate waiting areas and by the limited information available about when flights arrive. They also reported problems with the airport parking lot, including high rates and malfunctioning payment machines.

Terminal 1 Expansion Announced

Airport executives, meanwhile, have announced that Terminal 1 will begin operations at the end of this year with capacity for 10 aircraft positions and the ability to handle an average of 8 million passengers.

The project is part of the infrastructure plans of Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste (Asur) and is scheduled to open before the year ends, while other infrastructure work and new projects are expected to be completed in 2028 and 2029.

Carlos Trueba Troll, director of the Cancún terminal, said the project is part of the work being carried out to keep the airport ahead of the demand generated by the destination each year.

“The airport has never been below demand; it has always been above it,” he said, adding that the goal is to maintain that position through ongoing investments and expansion work.

Trueba Troll said the construction is being carried out under a plan designed to avoid disrupting travelers, so day-to-day airport operations will continue as normal while the work advances.

On passenger numbers, he acknowledged a decline in tourist traffic tied to a range of factors, but said a significant recovery is expected between the last week of November and the first weeks of December.