United Airlines to End Tulum Flights in January 2027, Offers Refunds

Tulum, Quintana Roo — United Airlines will stop flying to Tulum’s Felipe Carrillo Puerto International Airport in early January 2027, closing out the last two routes it still operated to the Quintana Roo terminal from the United States.

The airline confirmed the decision to the financial news outlet El Financiero, saying it responds to market factors. The final Newark–Tulum flight is scheduled for Jan. 2, 2027, and the Houston–Tulum service will end on Jan. 4.

United had already dropped its routes from Chicago and Los Angeles, so the January cuts will leave the carrier with no service to Tulum at all.

The pullout deepens a connectivity crisis at the airport, which opened as a second gateway to the Riviera Maya and was meant to compete with Cancún. Instead, airlines have steadily trimmed or eliminated service as tourist demand to the destination has fallen.

What Passengers Can Do

Travelers holding tickets on the canceled routes can rebook onto flights to nearby airports or request a refund.

“Customers will have the option to change their reservation to flights to nearby airports, such as Cancún (CUN), which is between 1.5 and 2 hours away by car and serves many of the same tourist areas as TQO; alternatively, they can request a refund,” the airline said.

Passengers who would rather not make the drive from Cancún to Tulum can ask for their money back under the options the company outlined.

Which Airlines Are Still Flying to Tulum

United joins a growing list of carriers scaling back at the terminal.

• Aeroméxico suspended its Tulum flights on Sept. 30, 2026.
• Volaris announced it will stop operating at the airport as of Jan. 7, 2027.
• JetBlue, Copa Airlines, Avianca, Discover Airlines and Volaris Costa Rica have also reported exits or cutbacks.
• American Airlines will cancel its Miami connection but keep flying from Dallas, according to available reports.

Viva Aerobus and Mexicana de Aviación will maintain regular service through the winter season, and Mexicana plans to increase its operations at the terminal. Canadian carriers Air Canada, Air Transat and WestJet have seasonal flights scheduled between October and April of next year, preserving some international links during that window.

Industry reports attribute the slump to high lodging and transportation costs, airport fees and competition from Cancún. They also point to the impact of sargassum seaweed, rising prices for access to tourist attractions and the rapid growth of real estate development in the area.

Federal Incentives Announced

As routes disappear, Mexico’s federal Tourism Secretariat announced a package offering airlines 100% in incentives over three years, aimed at attracting carriers, restoring connections and strengthening the airport’s operations.

Tourism Secretary Josefina Rodríguez Zamora said Grupo Mundo Maya, which operates the terminal, would formally present the details of the incentive program. The specific terms have yet to be defined.