Cancun International Airport, Mexico’s primary gateway for international tourists, set a new record in 2023 by welcoming over 32.7 million passengers. Building on this milestone, Aeropuertos del Sureste Asur has received approval from the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources to expand Terminal 4 at Cancun International Airport (AIC).
The designated site for the project is part of the property allocated to Asur along Federal Highway 307 Chetumal-Puerto Juárez, at kilometer 22. The existing terminal building spans approximately 79,381 square meters, featuring three levels and a total of 26 aircraft contact and remote positions. These facilities will be doubled as part of the expansion.
A key component of the project is the construction of a new 42-meter control tower. This significant investment aims to enhance the overall capacity and efficiency of Terminal 4, which has become increasingly congested due to rising passenger numbers.
Five-Year Investment Plan
In December 2023, Asur announced an ambitious investment plan for its nine airports in Mexico, totaling 28,496 million pesos over a five-year period (2024-2028). A substantial 75% of this budget will be allocated to Cancun International Airport, translating to 24,477 million pesos.
Breaking down the investment per year:
2024: 2,624 million pesos
2025: 4,493 million pesos
2026: The largest planned investment, at 5,500 million pesos
2027: 3,861 million pesos
2028: 4,999 million pesos
Capacity Limitations
During the celebrations marking Cancun International Airport’s record-breaking passenger count of 30.3 million in December 2022, Asur executives acknowledged that the airport had reached its capacity limit. In response, Terminal 1 was reopened after being closed for years due to Hurricane Wilma in 2005.
As Manuel Gutiérrez Solá, commercial director of Asur, noted, Terminal 1 had been underutilized since then and required adjustments to meet growing demand in the coming years. The expansion of Terminal 4 is expected to alleviate these capacity constraints and provide a more efficient passenger experience at Cancun International Airport.
Source: El Economista
