Tulum airport: operations begin
According to Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, construction of the new airport in Tulum will be completed in 2023 and will begin operations in 2024.
In October 2020, the President of Mexico announced that, as part of an effort to develop southeastern Mexico, the Mexican Army will build and operate a new airport in the City of Tulum, State of Quintana Roo (the «Felipe Carrillo Puerto International Airport»).
According to Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, the Mexican government had previously secured land of approximately 1,200 hectares where it will build the new airport, located 130 km south of Cancun airport, and has announced that the inauguration of the airport will coincide with the inauguration of the Mayan Train.
The Tren Maya is an intercity railroad project that will connect airports and historic Mayan tourist sites in Mexico, with rail coverage in the states of Chiapas, Yucatán and Quintana Roo.
Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste cannot assure that the construction of the airport in Tulum will not impact passenger traffic at the Cancun airport.
Airport in Tulum
The General Directorate of Engineers of the National Defense Secretariat (Sedena) supervises the Tulum airport, in the municipality of Felipe Carrillo Puerto.
Environmental studies for the project began in 2021 and the Tulum airport will share runways with an existing military air base.
It is estimated that 4 million passengers will use the new Tulum airport by May 2024.
It is also projected to have a total cost of US$49.2 million and an operational life of 31 years.
The Sedena announced that the Tulum airport will withstand up to category 5 hurricanes.
The U.S. Department of Commerce reports that the new airport will have a 3.5 kilometer runway and commercial, cargo and general aviation functions.
Another relevant aspect is that the new Tulum airport will connect with the Tren Maya (sections 5, 6 and 7), and the Sedena will create a new company to manage the concession.
As part of this plan for the Riviera Maya, the airports of Chetumal and Palenque (part of the ASA network) will have expansion works and will be transferred to Sedena as well, once the Tulum airport is completed.
