Despite setbacks, Tulum’s airport has already begun to announce flights in December. But nobody knows precisely when.
The first airline to announce routes was Viva Aerobus, with five domestic flights, followed by Aeroméxico, with 14, including international routes.
The new airport is not without its detractors, who argue that there is no real need for it given the existing capacity at Cancún International and other existing airports in Cozumel and near Chichén Itzá.
According to tourism authorities, Tulum’s airport is expected to quickly become the third-busiest airport in the country, only behind Benito Juaréz in México City and Cancún International.
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The airport will connect directly with the Tren Maya to make it easier for visitors to get further afield in southeastern México.
The deadline for the Mayan Train and Tulum’s airport is likely because 2023 will be the administration’s last full year in office headed by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
The airport in Tulum is being built by several private companies with assistance and direction from México’s armed forces.
As Tulum has garnered somewhat of a negative reputation for safety, the resort city is now being patrolled by México’s National Guard to make travelers feel more at ease.
