Aeropuertos del Sureste (ASUR) has announced plans to invest US $1.6 billion in nine air terminals in Mexico, with the Cancún International Airport receiving 75% of the total amount.
That means US $1.4 billion will be allocated to the Cancún airport, the main entry point for international tourists to Mexico, according to the newspaper El Economista.
Last year, the airport exceeded 30 million passengers for the first time, and by year-end, it is expected to receive 32 million passengers.
This investment plan will span from 2024 to 2028.
The initial investment in 2024 will be US $154 million. This amount will increase to $265 million in 2025 and then to $324 million in 2026, the highest scheduled investment. In 2027, it will reduce to $227 million, and in the last year of the investment period, which is 2028, it will be $295 million.
Last December, as ASUR celebrated the 30.3-million-passenger record, executives acknowledged that the airport had reached its capacity limit. So to accommodate more passengers this year, the airport reopened Terminal 1, which had been closed for years.
According to Manuel Gutiérrez Sola, the commercial director of ASUR, Terminal 1 was affected by Hurricane Wilma in 2005.
ASUR’s work plan has yet to be released. However, it has been reported that there are plans to renovate Terminal 1 next year and to expand Terminal 4. Additionally, the route between the Cancún airport terminal of the Maya Train will need to be completed.
On that matter, President López Obrador has said that the Tulum airport will be of “great help to the Cancún airport” as the latter is “already very saturated.”
The Tulum airport started operations on Dec. 1 offering 5 daily domestic flights. It will inaugurate international flight service in March 2024.
With reports from El Economista
Glad to see the Cancun airport is being upgraded! While living in Cancun for ca. twelve years, I went back to San Francisco to celebrate Christmas with family and for various other appointments, so i know the airport well. It was never that impressive but I didn’t care, always happy to come back to Cancun. However, I will admit it was not in the greatest condition and I was often confused as to the area of departure. Wheelchairs and similar equipment for the elderly and handicapped also need to be replaced/upgraded. Again, that is something you get used to after many years living in Mexico.
As tourism has gone up and down because of seaweed problems in el Mar and the increased threat of violence in the area, I should think the airport upgrade is extremely important at this time. Everything invested in extra safety for the people – both the tourist and the airport workers – is a good decision. !Viva Mexico!
As a side note..many tourists are avoiding Cancun as they are Cabo San Lucas..too congested ant hill.
You will see a major shift away from these two present tourist Meccas…
Invest in La Paz..Loretto and more appealing places to visit!