New all-time passenger record at Mérida airport

Mérida’s international airport has registered nearly a quarter of a million passengers in a single month, an all-time record.
Traffic at the airport is expected to continue growing throughout the summer and fall with the addition of new flights and routes.
“This is clearly a fantastic sign. We will continue to work to promote Yucatán as both a great place for leisure and business,” said Tourism Secretary Michelle Fridman Hirsch.
Several domestic airlines, including Viva Aerobus and Magnicharters, have announced that they will be increasing their number of daily flights to Mexico City.

Other recently announced domestic routes include direct flights to Puerto Vallarta and Léon, Guanajuato.
“We have really seen an explosion in demand, so we are adding additional flights to make sure our passengers get to where they need to go,” according to a press statement from Viva Aerobus.
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Viva Aerobus has also announced that it will add flights to Toluca in Mexico State but will not schedule flights to Mexico City’s new and controversial Felipe Angeles airport.
There has also been much speculation about re-establishing a direct route between Mérida and Europe, though no definitive plans have been announced.
But flights from international destinations, especially the United States, are also on the uptick, with the majority operating at well over 80% capacity, according to SEFOTUR.

The news comes as a breath of fresh air to the tourism and hospitality sector that for nearly a year and a half had dragged to a complete halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It has not been easy, but we have survived. But it’s not time to sit on our laurels and let down our guard. We must work harder and smarter than ever,” said Iván Rodríguez Gasque, president of Yucatán’s commerce and tourism union.

Senior Editor Carlos Rosado van der Gracht is a Mexican expedition/Canadian photographer and adventure leader. Born in Mérida, Carlos holds multimedia, philosophy, and translation degrees from universities in Mexico, Canada and Norway.