The regional carrier Aerus launched new flights Tuesday that solve a vexing problem for visitors to Quintana Roo: finding Cancún-Cozumel flights that don’t take about as long as it would take to simply drive there — which includes a ferry trip.
The newly available direct route by Aerus airlines takes just over 30 minutes to do the Cancún-Cozumel run and will operate five flights a day. Until now, a direct flight had only been available from charter airlines.
Aerus, which began operations in 2023 and is based in Monterrey, also launched a Cancún-Mérida route, with one daily flight five days per week.
Aeroméxico and Volaris do offer commercial Cancún-Cozumel flights, but both airlines’ flight offerings require a stop at the Mexico City International Airport (AICM), which can make the entire trip last anywhere between 1.5 hours and 28 hours, depending on the length of the Mexico City layover.
Governor Mara Lezama Espinosa, who attended Aerus’ inaugural Cancún-Cozumel flight, said that this was a historic day for Quintana Roo, as the state now has “a new tool to promote tourism.”
Lezama was also referring to Aerus’ plans to operate two additional routes starting July 1: one with three flights a week between Cancún and Chetumal, Quintana Roo’s coastal capital city, and one daily flight between Cozumel and the Chichén Itzá Airport.
Aerus’ arrival will mark the first time that the Chichén Itzá Airport, located in Kaua — a town near the famous archaeological site — will receive flights from commercial airlines. Airport manager José Miguel García Vales told the online industry news site Aviación Online that the airport is “fully equipped” to receive commercial flights and has created a business plan focused on commercial passenger transportation in anticipation of eventual increased interest in the airport.
For now, Aerus will ferry passengers between Cozumel and Chichén Itzá Airport on a Cessna C208 Caravan aircraft, which typically seats nine passengers plus a pilot.
Aerus’ new flights are projected to improve connectivity between northern, central and southern Quintana Roo, as well as support regional development.
“The presence of companies like Aerus shows the confidence of the private sector to invest in Quintana Roo and Cozumel,” said Cozumel Mayor Juanita Alonso Marrufo.
Home to some of Mexico’s most popular international destinations, Quintana Roo is the only state in Mexico with four international airports. Earlier this week, Lezama reported on her ‘X’ social media account that the state’s four airports had registered a sustained average growth of more than 530 daily flights, with 600 operations registered on May 11th.
With reports from Milenio.
