Mexicana de Aviación Adds 24 Winter Flights to Tulum as Rivals Pull Out

Cancún, Quintana Roo — Mexicana de Aviación will add 24 flights to Tulum during the winter season, part of the state-owned carrier’s push to strengthen domestic connectivity and meet passenger demand.

The expansion comes as competitors retreat from Tulum International Airport “Felipe Carrillo Puerto.” Aeroméxico suspended its flights there on September 30, 2026, and Volaris has announced it will stop operating the route on January 7, 2027.

Mexicana CEO Gen. Leobardo Ávila Bojórquez said demand growth remains on a positive trend and described the additional Tulum operations as a way to offer travelers more options for reaching the Mexican Caribbean.

He recalled that the airline added five new destinations in June — Acapulco, Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chihuahua, Hermosillo and El Bajío — and will add Zacatecas to its network on November 17 with a connection from Felipe Ángeles International Airport.

Fleet Growth and Passenger Numbers

The Tulum increase is part of a broader expansion in which Mexicana incorporated five Embraer E2 aircraft during 2026, bringing its fleet to 10 planes. The two most recent jets are still undergoing certification with aviation authorities.

The added aircraft have allowed the airline to increase its seat capacity by 83 percent since June.

Ávila Bojórquez said that from the start of operations through September 7, Mexicana had carried more than 1,276,000 passengers. Passenger volume in 2026 is up 31 percent compared with the same period in 2025.

As part of its growth plan, Mexicana expects to close the year with 12 aircraft and to add eight more in 2027, reaching a fleet of 20 planes.

The airline plans to enter a maturation phase starting in 2028 focused on operational efficiency, while its strategic plan targets breaking even financially in 2030.