Felipe Carrillo Puerto International Airport Aeropuerto Internacional Felipe Carrillo Puerto Tulum International Airport Aeropuerto Internacional de Tulum | |||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||
| Operator | Grupo Olmeca-Maya-Mexica | ||||||||||
| Serves | Tulum | ||||||||||
| Location | Felipe Carrillo Puerto, Quintana Roo,Mexico | ||||||||||
| Opened | 1 December 2023; 2 years ago (2023-12-01) | ||||||||||
| Time zone | EST (UTC-05:00) | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 20 m / 66 ft | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 20°10′20″N087°39′38″W / 20.17222°N 87.66056°W /20.17222; -87.66056 | ||||||||||
| Website | www | ||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||
  TQO/MMTL Location of airport in Quintana Roo Show map of Quintana Roo TQO/MMTL TQO/MMTL (Mexico) Show map of Mexico | |||||||||||
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| Statistics (2025) | |||||||||||
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| Source:Agencia Federal de Aviación Civil[1] | |||||||||||
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Tulum International Airport (Spanish:Aeropuerto Internacional de Tulum), officiallyAeropuerto Internacional Felipe Carrillo Puerto(Felipe Carrillo Puerto International Airport) (IATA:TQO,ICAO:MMTL), is aninternational airport situated approximately 20 kilometres (12 mi) southwest ofTulum, Quintana Roo,Mexico. It serves both domestic and international air traffic for Tulum, functioning as a secondary gateway for tourists visiting the Mexican Caribbean, theRiviera Maya, and theYucatán Peninsula. It also supports various executive andgeneral aviation and military activities. The primary airport in the region isCancún International Airport, situated approximately 125 kilometres (78 mi) north of Tulum.
After commencing construction in 2022, the airport began commercial services on December 1, 2023 operated by Grupo Olmeca-Maya-Mexica, a holding company owned by theMexican military. It handled 39,768 passengers in its first month of operations, rising to 1,248,645 by 2025.[1]
Tulum, a well-known tourist destination, has traditionally relied onCancún International Airport as its primary gateway. Efforts have been ongoing to reduce Cancun's dominance and establish alternative entry points to this tourist zone, withCozumel Int'l. Airport emerging as a successful secondary option. In the 2000s,Chichen Itza International Airport was constructed to facilitate access to the central Yucatan region, but financial viability concerns led to its closure shortly after its establishment.
The concept of a Tulum civil airport has been on the horizon for years. It reached a stage of development where, by 2011, bidding for construction contracts was set to conclude.[2] However, the project encountered challenges, leading to a standstill. FollowingAndrés Manuel López Obrador's inauguration as Mexican president in 2018, political backing for the Tulum Airport further diminished due to an increased emphasis on theTren Maya project.[3] However, the project regained momentum in 2022 when it was announced by the López Obrador administration as part of efforts to boost tourism, particularly in conjunction with the Tren Maya.
Tulum Airport, constructed and operated by the Mexican army, is part of the broader strategy of the López Obrador administration to engage the armed forces in significant infrastructure projects. This trend ofmilitarization extends to other projects, including the takeover of multiple airports, the Tren Maya, and therevival ofMexicana de Aviación.[4] However, the military's involvement in civilian functions, such as airport management and hotel operations, raises concerns about accountability and transparency.[5]
Construction commenced in 2022, initially scheduled to open in April 2024. Following the announcement, major Mexican and U.S. carriers revealed services from theirhubs.[6] In August 2023,Aeroméxico announced services to Mexico City, andViva announced flights to various Mexican cities.[7] In October 2023,Delta Air Lines disclosed nonstop flights fromAtlanta from March 2024.[8] Subsequently,Spirit Airlines revealed plans to add flights fromOrlando andFort Lauderdale.[9] In November 2023,American Airlines announced flights toCharlotte,Miami, andDallas/Fort Worth, followed byUnited Airlines unveiling services toHouston,Chicago,Newark,Los Angeles andDenver.[10][11] The airport began operations on December 1, 2023.[12]
Spanning 1,200 hectares (3,000 acres) at anelevation of 20 metres (66 ft) abovemean sea level, the airport features a passenger terminal and a 3,700 metres (12,100 ft)runway capable of accommodatingwide-body aircraft and handling 5.5 million passengers annually. Theapron comprises 13 aircraft stands primarily used bynarrow-body aircraft, complemented byhardstands servinggeneral aviation.
The 70,000 square metres (750,000 sq ft) passenger terminal provides standard international airport services in a two-story building separating departure facilities on the top floor and arrivals on the ground floor. It featurescheck-in areas, a security checkpoint, arrivals facilities with baggage claim areas, taxi stands, and car rental services. The departures concourse houses commercial spaces and 13gates with ramps down to the apron level, allowing passengers to board their planes by walking to the aircraft.
In addition, the airport hosts an Executive Aviation Terminal, equipped withairport lounges and dedicated facilities for general aviation. Future plans involve the construction of anair force base within the airport grounds.Tulum Airport railway station is located next to the airport, with service toTulum railway station,Cancún International Airport,Chetumal Airport, and other prominent tourist destinations in southeastern Mexico.[13]
Domestic destinations from Tulum International Airport Red = Year-round destination Blue = Future destination Green = Seasonal destination |
 Tulum North, Central and South American destinations from Tulum International Airport Red = Year-round destination Blue = Future destination Green = Seasonal destination |
| Rank | City | Passengers |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mexico City–AIFA, State of Mexico | 171,702 |
| 2 | Guadalajara, Jalisco | 63,463 |
| 3 | Monterrey, Nuevo León | 44,564 |
| 4 | Mexico City, Mexico City | 7,031 |
| 5 | Tijuana, Baja California | 533 |
| Rank | City | Passengers |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Houston–Intercontinental, United States | 54,607 |
| 2 | Atlanta, United States | 54,314 |
| 3 | Dallas/Fort Worth, United States | 46,869 |
| 4 | Miami, United States | 32,993 |
| 5 |  Montréal–Trudeau, Canada | 30,328 |
