Tulum's gleaming Felipe Carrillo Puerto International Airport is having a rocky second act — but officials insist the story is far from over.
President Claudia Sheinbaum has publicly pushed back on rumours that Aeromexico dropped its Tulum routes over safety concerns or weak profitability. "It is false," she told reporters, arguing the destination still draws plenty of visitors and that the archaeological zone will rebound now that the dispute over free entry to the ruins has been settled.
The reality on the ground is messier. Aeromexico quietly ended its Tulum service on September 30, citing "market conditions" and a desire to optimise its network — a temporary suspension, though with no restart date attached. Not long after, Volaris confirmed it will stop flying to Tulum from January 7, 2027, pointing to weak load factors and, notably, rising airport fees and operating costs. Volaris has already stopped selling tickets for flights after that date, though its CEO of airport operator Grupo Mundo Maya, Ricardo Flores González, clarified the cut affects mainly the Guadalajara route, with the rest of Volaris's Tulum service continuing.
The counter-narrative arrived on October 8, when Sheinbaum announced that Air Canada, Air Transat, WestJet and United will all resume Tulum flights on October 24, timed for the November 2026 to April 2027 winter season — the stretch when Canadian and US sun-seekers flood the Riviera Maya. She also pointed to growth elsewhere: Delta, United and American have nearly doubled their Tulum operations, and Canadian arrivals grew by nearly 102,000 passengers between January and April. Toronto traffic rose 14.8%, Montreal 5.3% and Calgary a striking 103.2%. Mexicana de Aviación has added frequencies too.
The wider picture for Mexican aviation is healthy. Sectur chief Josefina Rodríguez Zamora reported 128.3 million passengers through the country's airports from January to August 2026 — 86.8 million domestic and 41.5 million international — with August alone up 2.7% year on year. Among the 15 busiest airports, Querétaro grew fastest at 11.7%, followed by Mexico City's AIFA (9.6%) and Mérida (7.0%).
For travellers, the practical takeaway is simple: Tulum remains well connected for the upcoming winter high season, especially from Canada and the US, but the domestic network is being trimmed. If you're flying in on a Mexican carrier or from Guadalajara, check schedules carefully for dates beyond early January 2027. And expect some flux — route suspensions here are framed as temporary business decisions, so the map may look different again by spring.
Who should care? Winter-breakers and snowbirds eyeing Tulum's beach-and-ruins combination will find plenty of seats from the north. Meanwhile, the airport fee dispute behind Volaris's exit hints that fares on some domestic routes could firm up if costs stay high.
