Tulum Airport Passenger Traffic Falls 33% in First Half of 2026

A view of the Tulum International Airport terminal, where passenger traffic fell 33.2 percent in the first half of 2026.

Tulum, Quintana Roo — Passenger traffic at the Tulum International Airport plummeted 33.2% in the first half of 2026, according to the Federal Civil Aviation Agency (AFAC).

The airport served 471,500 passengers between January and June, down from 705,400 in the same period last year. In June alone, traffic dropped 44.8% year over year, from 86,200 to 47,600 passengers.

International traffic saw the steepest decline. The terminal handled 247,100 international passengers in the six-month period, a 40.8% drop from 417,600 a year earlier. In June, international passenger numbers fell 63.2%, from 42,000 to just 15,500.

Domestic traffic also fell, though less sharply. The airport recorded 224,400 national passengers from January to June, down 22% from 287,800 in 2025. June domestic traffic was down 27.3%, from 44,200 to 32,100.

The figures confirm a downward trend that has persisted through 2026, with the decline more pronounced in international traffic, which historically accounted for the majority of the airport’s operations. The contraction appears in both the six-month total and in June, the latest month with available data.

The airport, which opened in late 2023, closed 2025 with modest growth over 2024. The first half of 2026 now marks a clear reversal. The loss of more than 234,000 passengers in the period represents a reduction of more than a third compared with the same months a year earlier.

The international market fell more than 40% in the half-year and deepened in June, when the number of foreign travelers dropped to less than half of the year-ago figure. That decline coincides with previously reported reductions in routes and flight frequencies. Domestic traffic was also significantly lower, down more than 20% in the semester and nearly 27% in June.

Discover more from Riviera Maya News

Sign up to receive a summary of the best news in your inbox, every day.

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

By Laura Castillo

Laura Castillo covers tourism, business, and economic development across Cancún, Playa del Carmen, Tulum, and the wider Riviera Maya for Riviera Maya News & Events. She tracks the region's most important business stories — from hotel investments and airline route expansions to real estate market trends and local economic policy — helping English-speaking readers stay informed about the economic pulse of Mexico's Caribbean coast.Laura has been reporting on Quintana Roo's tourism sector since 2020, closely monitoring developments in Cancun's hotel zone, Tulum's rapidly growing commercial corridor, and the evolving business landscape in Playa del Carmen. Her coverage includes corporate investments, employment trends, infrastructure projects, and the economic impact of events like sargassum seasons and hurricane preparation.Before joining Riviera Maya News & Events, Laura worked in business development and market analysis in the Riviera Maya region, giving her first-hand insight into how tourism, real estate, and local commerce intersect. She is fluent in English and Spanish.For story tips: laura@rivieramayanews.mx