Cancún airport loses more than 720,000 passengers in the first half of 2026

Cancún International Airport recorded a 4.7% drop in passenger movement during the first half of 2026, equal to more than 720,000 fewer travelers than in the same period a year earlier, according to Caribe Peninsular.

Between January and June, the terminal handled 14,757,599 passengers: 10,245,822 international and 4,511,777 domestic. The domestic market was hit hardest, down 6.4% (about 306,000 fewer passengers), while international traffic fell 3.9% (around 418,000 fewer travelers).

Third-largest drop in the country

Per the report, Cancún is the third major airport with the steepest decline in the country, behind only Puerto Vallarta (-18.2%) and Los Cabos (-5.8%). With this result, the terminal marks three consecutive years of negative trend.

According to Caribe Peninsular, the decline is attributed to a mix of factors: persistent sargassum, the perception of insecurity, competition from other destinations, a slowdown in some international markets, and geopolitical uncertainty.

Why it matters

The airport is Cancún's economic engine: hotel, transport, retail and service jobs depend on its activity. A sustained drop in tourist arrivals puts pressure on those sectors. In this section we track the destination's indicators based on the sources available.