Mexico’s Tulum International Airport is experiencing a notable decline in airline services just over a year after its grand opening in December 2023.
In an apparent shift in travel demand, several airlines have begun to scale back their operations at the airport. US carrier American Airlines had already ceased its Charlotte-to-Tulum service in February this year.
United Airlines was also set to introduce a new route from Denver to Tulum on December 19th, but those plans were subsequently cancelled. The airport is situated approximately 80 miles south of Cancun.
In a recent Cirium Diio schedule update, United Airlines announced that it will no longer offer flights between Chicago’s O’Hare hub and Tulum. However, the carrier has confirmed that it will continue to operate year-round services from Newark in New Jersey and Houston.
Air Canada is also re-evaluating its presence at Tulum Airport, according to Aeroroutes. The Canadian airline had planned to resume seasonal flights from Ottawa and Quebec City this winter but has since removed these routes from its schedule. Air Canada will continue to offer services to Tulum from Toronto and Montreal.
Commenting on the changes, Mark Galardo, Air Canada’s chief commercial officer, stated that “the industry in general put a lot of incremental capacity into Tulum; you’re seeing some carriers rationalize a bit.” When questioned about Air Canada’s revised strategy for Tulum, Galardo added that his airline plans to focus more resources on Cancun Airport, which has proven to be a stronger performer.
Scheduled capacity at Tulum International Airport is expected to decrease by approximately 23% in December 2025 compared to the same month last year, according to Cirium. This decline highlights the evolving travel landscape and the shifting priorities of airlines in response to changing demand patterns.
Source: Airline Geeks
