Low-cost Mexican airline Volaris has announced it will end service to Tulum, Quintana Roo, after the end of this year, joining the exodus of national and international airlines from the troubled beach resort and cultural destination
Just this week, Mexico’s legacy airline Aeroméxico announced it would suspend flights to Tulum as of today, Thursday, describing the move as a “temporary suspension.”
Both carriers cited “market conditions”— meaning a lack of profitability — as the reason for their suspension of service
“We have had to review the profitability of our routes and temporarily suspend certain flights with lower load factors — including our operations to and from Tulum — starting January 7, 2027,” the airline told the newspaper El Financiero.
Ticket sales to and from the destination will stop this weekend.
The airlines’ “lower load factors” (i.e. fewer passengers) can be directly linked to the shrinking visitor base to the once-thriving tourist destination, known for its enticing combination of sunny beaches and archaeological sites.
Data by the Tulum Hotel Association cited by the newspaper El Economista revealed that occupancy levels by mid-September were 10% lower compared to the same period last year. Beachfront hotels saw occupancy below 20% and all-inclusive resorts below 30%, prompting some to consider operating only during peak season.
Figures from the Tulum airport (TQO) also reflect this downturn.
El Economista reported that according to the Federal Civil Aviation Agency (AFAC), TQO handled 471,500 travelers between January and June — a 33.2% drop from the 705,400 recorded during the same period in 2025.
Volaris said reasons for the drop in international arrivals include increased fees and other charges related to foreign tourist travel, such as the recent announcement of an increase in the Non-Resident Fee (DNR), which will rise by 35% starting next year.
The DNR fee paid by foreign visitors entering Mexico would rise from 983 pesos (US $54) to 1,334.80 pesos (US $74) if Congress approves the Economic Package proposal for 2027. This fee is included in the ticket price and directly increases the cost of international itineraries.
A price hike in the Airport Use Fee (TUA) was also cited as a cause, which now stands at 300 pesos (US $16) per passenger, as well as costs related to fuel and air navigation services.
Tulum’s airport was one of former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s flagship projects. It began operations in December 2023, nearly eight months before President Claudia Sheinbaum started her term in office.
With reports from Expansión
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