Puerto Aventuras Aerodrome Begins Tests to Replace Playa del Carmen Airstrip

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — The new Puerto Aventuras aerodrome has begun test operations as a precursor to its formal opening, a facility that will allow the permanent closure of the airstrip in central Playa del Carmen.

The project aims to improve operational safety and eliminate risks linked to the urban growth that has surrounded the municipal seat’s runway for years, authorities said.

José Alberto Alonso Ovando, head of Quintana Roo’s Sustainable Territorial and Urban Development Department (Sedetus), confirmed that the new complex will replace the current facility, which has significant physical limitations.

Replacing a constrained airstrip

The existing Playa del Carmen airstrip measures just 600 meters (about 1,970 feet) and is hemmed in by urban development. High-tension cables, nearby buildings, and adjacent businesses have caused minor incidents with the perimeter fence, according to officials.

The new aerodrome, located about 26 kilometers (16 miles) from Playa del Carmen, features a 1,300-meter (about 4,265-foot) runway with room for future expansion. It sits on a 152.8-hectare (377-acre) property about 9 kilometers west of Federal Highway 307 on the Puerto Aventuras–Playa del Carmen stretch.

Project specifications include space for roughly 50 hangars, taxiways, a passenger terminal, and security fencing. The land-use change was authorized by Semarnat, Mexico’s environment agency, in 2015.

“The airstrip is already built and undergoing tests. It replaces the one in Playa del Carmen, which is 600 meters long but has less usable length because of the buildings and cables,” Alonso Ovando said.

Private investment revives project

After years of abandonment, the project was reactivated through an administration permit granted by the Agepro (Agency for Strategic Projects of Quintana Roo) to a private investor. That arrangement allowed remaining work to be finished without public funds, with the investor required to pay a fee to Agepro once commercial operations start.

Once technical evaluations at Puerto Aventuras are complete and final authorizations are obtained, the central Playa del Carmen airstrip will cease operations. Its land will then be reincorporated into the municipality’s urban development plans.