Cancún International Airport facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Cancun International Airport
Aeropuerto Internacional de Cancún
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| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||
| Owner/Operator | Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste | ||||||||||
| Serves | Cancún | ||||||||||
| Location | Cancún, Quintana Roo, Mexico | ||||||||||
| Hub for |
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| Focus city for |
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| Elevation AMSL | 20 ft / 6 m | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 21°02′12″N 86°52′37″W / 21.03667°N 86.87694°W | ||||||||||
| Website | https://cancun-airport.net | ||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||
 CUN
Location in Quintana Roo
CUN
Location in Mexico
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| Runway | |||||||||||
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| Statistics (2022) | |||||||||||
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Source: Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste
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Cancun International Airport (Spanish: Aeropuerto Internacional de Cancún) (IATA: CUN, ICAO: MMUN) is located in Cancún, Quintana Roo, on the Caribbean coast of Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula. It is Latin America's third and Mexico's second busiest airport, after Mexico City International Airport. In 2021, Cancún airport handled 22,318,467 passengers, and 30,342,961 passengers in 2022 according to Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste.
The airport has two parallel operative runways that can be used simultaneously. Officially opened in 1974, the airport is operated by Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste (ASUR). It is a hub for MAYAir and a focus city for VivaAerobus and Volaris. It currently offers flights to over 20 destinations in Mexico and to over 30 countries in North, Central, and South America and Europe.
Contents
Expansion
The airport has been expanding as it has become the second busiest point of entry by air to the country, after Mexico City International Airport. In 2005, ASUR invested US$150 million to construct Terminal 3, inaugurated in 2007, and a new runway and a new control tower opened in October 2009. The new 2,800-metre-long (9,200 ft), 45-metre-wide (148 ft) runway was built to the north of the current one; the new control tower is the tallest in Latin America, standing 97 metres (318 ft) tall.
Terminal 2 was expanded in 2014. A 76,000 square metres (820,000 sq ft) expansion in Terminal 3 was simultaneously carried out, adding six gates and commercial areas, and it was formally opened in March 2016. The expansion was planned to contribute to increasing annual capacity to 10 million from the existing 6 million. Terminal 4 was opened at the end of October 2017, much to the excitement of local politicians and vacationers who were growing impatient with an overcrowded airport.
Terminals
The airport has four terminals, all of which are currently in use.
Terminal 1
Terminal 1 has seven gates: 1 through 7A. After suffering damage from Hurricane Wilma, it was temporarily closed for remodeling in order to accommodate charter airlines operating at the airport. It reopened in November 2013 to charter flights, and it also serves two local airlines: Magni and VivaAerobús.
Terminal 2
Terminal 2 at Cancún Airport has 22 gates: A1 through A11 (in a satellite building) and B12 through B22 (at the main building). Most domestic airlines depart from here, along with all international flights to Central and South America and a few long-haul flights to Europe. There is a bank and food outlets in the check-in area, along with several restaurants and shops in the boarding area and immigration/customs services. Two lounges, the MERA Business Lounge and The Lounge by Global Lounge Network, serve domestic and international travelers.
Terminal 3
Terminal 3 has 21 gates: C4 through C24. It has been recently expanded. Most US carriers, as well as some Canadian and European carriers, use this terminal. It offers shops (including duty-free), cafés, and restaurants, as well as immigration/customs services. There is a MERA Business Lounge located in Terminal 3.
Terminal 4
Terminal 4 has 12 gates and opened in October 2017. This made Cancún International the first airport in Mexico to have four terminals. It is able to handle 9 million passengers a year. Airlines flying to Terminal 4 include Aeroméxico, Air France, Lufthansa, Air Transat, WestJet, Condor, Southwest Airlines, Air Europa, Frontier Airlines, Sun Country Airlines and JetBlue. An on-site hotel is also planned to be opened, as well as a parking structure. Three lounges serve Terminal 4. They are the MERA Business Lounge (National), MERA Business Lounge (International), and The Lounge in Partnership with Air Transat.
Airlines and destinations
Passenger
| Airlines | Destinations |
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| Aeroflot | Moscow–Sheremetyevo (suspended)
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| Aerolíneas Argentinas | Buenos Aires–Ezeiza, Havana (begins July 6, 2023)
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| Aeroméxico | Mexico City, Mexico City–AIFA
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| Air Canada | Toronto–Pearson, Vancouver Seasonal: Calgary, Edmonton, Montréal–Trudeau, Winnipeg |
| Air Canada Rouge | Montréal–Trudeau, Québec City Seasonal: Halifax, Ottawa |
| Air Caraïbes | Paris–Orly
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| Air Europa | Madrid
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| Air France | Paris–Charles de Gaulle
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| Air Transat | Montréal–Trudeau, Toronto–Pearson Seasonal: Halifax, Hamilton (ON), London (ON), Moncton, Ottawa, Québec City |
| Alaska Airlines | Seasonal: Los Angeles, Portland (OR), San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle/Tacoma
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| American Airlines | Austin, Charlotte, Chicago–O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Miami, New York–JFK, Philadelphia, Phoenix–Sky Harbor Seasonal: Boston, Cincinnati (begins December 9, 2023), Columbus–Glenn, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Nashville (begins December 9, 2023), Raleigh/Durham, St. Louis |
| Arajet | Santo Domingo–Las Américas
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| Austrian Airlines | Seasonal: Vienna
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| Avianca | Bogotá, Medellín–JMC
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| Avianca Costa Rica | San José de Costa Rica
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| Avianca Ecuador | Quito
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| Avianca El Salvador | San Salvador
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| Azur Air | Seasonal charter: Moscow–Vnukovo
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| Azur Air Ukraine | Seasonal charter: Kyiv-Boryspil
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| British Airways | London–Gatwick
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| Canada Jetlines | Toronto–Pearson
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| Condor | Frankfurt
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| Conviasa | Caracas
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| Copa Airlines | Panama City–Tocumen
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| Delta Air Lines | Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York–JFK, Salt Lake City, Seattle/Tacoma Seasonal: Cincinnati, Raleigh/Durham (both resume December 16, 2023) |
| Edelweiss Air | Zürich
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| Eurowings Discover | Seasonal: Frankfurt, Munich
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| Flair Airlines | Kitchener/Waterloo, Toronto–Pearson Seasonal: Ottawa |
| Frontier Airlines | Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago–O'Hare, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Denver, Orlando, Philadelphia, St. Louis Seasonal: Houston–Intercontinental, Indianapolis, Kansas City, San Juan, Tampa |
| Iberojet | Madrid Seasonal: Barcelona, Lisbon |
| JetBlue | Boston, Fort Lauderdale, Los Angeles, Newark, New York–JFK, Orlando, Raleigh/Durham, Tampa Seasonal: Hartford, Las Vegas, San Francisco |
| KLM | Seasonal: Amsterdam
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| LATAM Brasil | São Paulo–Guarulhos
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| LATAM Chile | Santiago de Chile
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| LATAM Perú | Lima
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| LOT Polish Airlines | Charter: Katowice, Poznań Seasonal charter: Warsaw–Chopin |
| Lufthansa | Frankfurt
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| Magnicharters | Guadalajara, León/El Bajío, Mexico City, Monterrey Seasonal charter: Aguascalientes, Chihuahua, Mérida, Nuevo Laredo, Puebla, Querétaro, San Luis Potosí |
| MAYAir | Mérida
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| Neos | Milan–Malpensa, Rome–Fiumicino, Verona
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| Nordwind Airlines | Charter: Moscow–Sheremetyevo
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| Sky Airline Peru | Lima
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| Southwest Airlines | Atlanta (resumes November 11, 2023), Baltimore, Chicago–Midway, Chicago–O'Hare, Denver, Fort Lauderdale, Houston–Hobby, Indianapolis, Kansas City, New Orleans, Phoenix–Sky Harbor, St. Louis Seasonal: Austin, Columbus–Glenn, Milwaukee, Nashville, Pittsburgh, San Antonio |
| Spirit Airlines | Austin, Baltimore, Chicago–O'Hare, Cleveland, Dallas/Fort Worth, Detroit, Fort Lauderdale, Houston–Intercontinental, Milwaukee, New Orleans, Orlando, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, St. Louis Seasonal: Atlantic City |
| Sun Country Airlines | Minneapolis/St. Paul Seasonal: Austin, Dallas/Fort Worth, Harlingen, Houston–Intercontinental, Milwaukee, San Antonio |
| Sunwing Airlines | Montréal–Trudeau, Toronto–Pearson Seasonal: Calgary, Edmonton, Fredericton, Halifax, Hamilton (ON), Kelowna, Kitchener/Waterloo, London (ON), Moncton, Ottawa, Québec City, Regina, Saskatoon, St. John's, Vancouver, Winnipeg |
| Swoop | Seasonal: Hamilton (ON), Toronto–Pearson
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| TAP Air Portugal | Lisbon
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| Transportes Aereos Guatemaltecos | Flores, Guatemala City
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| Tropic Air | Belize City |
| TUI Airways | Birmingham (UK), London–Gatwick, Manchester Seasonal: Bristol, Dublin, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Newcastle upon Tyne Seasonal charter: Copenhagen, Gothenburg, Helsinki, Stockholm–Arlanda, Oslo |
| TUI fly Belgium | Brussels
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| TUI fly Netherlands | Amsterdam
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| Turkish Airlines | Istanbul
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| Ukraine International Airlines | Seasonal charter: Kyiv-Boryspil (suspended)
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| United Airlines | Chicago–O'Hare, Cleveland, Denver, Houston–Intercontinental, Los Angeles, Newark, San Francisco, Washington–Dulles
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| Viva Aerobus | Acapulco, Bogotá, Camagüey, Chihuahua, Ciudad Juárez, Culiacán, Guadalajara, Havana, Holguín, León/El Bajío, Mexico City, Mexico City–AIFA, Monterrey, Puebla, Querétaro, Quito, Reynosa, San José del Cabo, Santa Clara, Tampico, Tijuana, Toluca/Mexico City, Torreón/Gómez Palacio, Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Veracruz, Villahermosa Seasonal: Cincinnati |
| Volaris | Aguascalientes, Bogotá, Chihuahua, Ciudad Juárez, Culiacán, Guadalajara, Guatemala City, Hermosillo (begins July 13, 2023), León/El Bajío, Lima, Mexicali, Mexico City, Mexico City–AIFA, Monterrey, Morelia, Oaxaca, Puebla, Querétaro, San José de Costa Rica, San Luis Potosí, Tijuana, Toluca/Mexico City, Tuxtla Gutiérrez Seasonal charter: Atlanta, Cincinnati, Kansas City, Memphis |
| Volaris Costa Rica | San José de Costa Rica
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| Volaris El Salvador | San Salvador
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| Wamos Air | Madrid
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| WestJet | Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto–Pearson, Vancouver Seasonal: Kelowna, Ottawa, Regina, Saskatoon, Victoria, Winnipeg |
| Wingo | Bogotá, Cali, Medellín–JMC
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| World2Fly | Madrid Charter: Lisbon |
Cargo
| Airlines | Destinations |
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| Amerijet International | Belize City, Ciudad del Carmen, Mérida, Miami
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| Estafeta Carga Aérea | Mérida, Miami
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| FedEx Express | Mérida, Miami |
Destinations map
| Destinations map |
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Traffic statistics
Passengers
| Year | Total passengers | % change |
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| 1999 | 6,969,733 | – |
| 2000 | 7,745,317 |  11.1% |
| 2001 | 7,639,021 |  1.4% |
| 2002 | 7,717,144 | 1.0% |
| 2003 | 8,683,950 | 12.5% |
| 2004 | 10,010,526 | 15.3% |
| 2005 | 9,301,240 | 7.1% |
| 2006 | 9,728,149 | 4.6% |
| 2007 | 11,340,027 | 16.6% |
| 2008 | 12,646,451 | 11.5% |
| 2009 | 11,174,908 | 11.6% |
| 2010 | 12,439,266 | 11.3% |
| 2011 | 13,022,481 | 4.7% |
| 2012 | 14,463,435 | 11.1% |
| 2013 | 15,962,162 | 10.4% |
| 2014 | 17,455,353 | 9.4% |
| 2015 | 19,596,485 | 12.3% |
| 2016 | 21,415,795 | 9.3% |
| 2017 | 23,601,509 | 10.2% |
| 2018 | 25,202,016 | 6.8% |
| 2019 | 25,481,989 | 1.1% |
| 2020 | 12,259,148 | 51.89% |
| 2021 | 22,318,467 | 82.1% |
| 2022 | 30,342,961 | 36.0% |
Busiest routes
| Rank | City | Passengers | Ranking | Airlines |
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| 1 |  Mexico City, Mexico City |
2,458,862 |  |
Aeroméxico, Magni, VivaAerobús, Volaris |
| 2 |  Nuevo León, Monterrey |
846,111 | |
Magni, VivaAerobús, Volaris |
| 3 |  United States, Dallas/Fort Worth |
608,161 | 1 |
American Airlines, Frontier Airlines, Spirit Airlines, Sun Country Airlines |
| 4 | United States, Houston (George Bush & Hobby airports) |
561,950 | 1 |
Frontier Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines, Sun Country Airlines, United Airlines, VivaAerobús |
| 5 |  Jalisco, Guadalajara |
528,138 | 2 |
Aeroméxico, Magni, VivaAerobús, Volaris |
| 6 | United States, Chicago (Midway & O'Hare airports) |
497,207 | |
American Airlines, Frontier Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines, United Airlines |
| 7 | United States, Atlanta |
380,059 | 2 |
Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines |
| 8 |  Panama, Panama City |
355,497 | |
Copa Airlines |
| 9 | United States, New York |
342,471 | 2 |
American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue |
| 10 | United States, Miami |
322,041 | |
American Airlines, Frontier Airlines |
| 11 | United States, Denver |
317,459 | 4 |
Frontier Airlines, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines |
| 12 | United States, Los Angeles |
283,538 | |
Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue Airways, United Airlines |
| 13 |  Canada, Toronto–Pearson |
272,897 |  |
Air Canada, Air Transat, Flair Airlines, Sunwing Airlines, Swoop, WestJet |
| 14 |  Baja California, Tijuana |
246,718 | 10 |
VivaAerobús, Volaris |
| 15 |  Colombia, Bogotá |
242,845 | 10 |
Avianca, VivaAerobús, Volaris, Wingo |
| 16 | United States, Fort Lauderdale |
241,615 | 1 |
JetBlue Airways, Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines |
| 17 | United States, Newark |
232,975 | 4 |
JetBlue Airways, United Airlines |
| 18 | United States, Charlotte |
220,311 | 4 |
American Airlines |
| 19 | United States, Philadelphia |
209,953 | 2 |
American Airlines, Frontier Airlines, Spirit Airlines |
| 20 |  United Kingdom, London |
209,953 | |
British Airways, TUI Airways |
| 21 | United States, Orlando |
190,530 | 1 |
Frontier Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Spirit Airlines |
| 22 |  Peru, Lima |
179,740 | |
LATAM Peru, Sky Airline Peru, Volaris |
| 23 | United States, Minneapolis |
178,961 | |
Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, Sun Country Airlines |
| 24 | United States, Baltimore |
127,787 | 5 |
Frontier Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines |
| 25 |  Spain, Madrid |
165,176 | |
Air Europa, Iberojet, Wamos Air, World2Fly |
| 26 |  Guanajuato, León |
163,002 | 10 |
Magni, VivaAerobús, Volaris |
| 27 |  Puebla, Puebla |
155,789 | 6 |
Magni, VivaAerobús, Volaris |
| 28 | United States, Detroit |
147,529 | 10 |
Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, Spirit Airlines |
| 29 | United States, San Francisco |
138,282 | 3 |
Alaska Airlines, JetBlue Airways, United Airlines |
| 30 | Canada, Montréal |
137,058 | |
Air Canada Rouge, Air Transat, Sunwing Airlines |
- Note
Accidents and incidents
- On March 15, 1984, Aerocozumel Flight 261 crashed soon after takeoff. No one died in the crash, but one of the passengers died of a heart attack while evacuating away from the swampy crash scene.
- On September 9, 2009, Mexico City-bound Aeroméxico Flight 576 was hijacked after take off. The hijackers were Bolivians who wanted to speak to the President. The plane landed safely in Mexico City, and the hijackers were arrested.
Accolades
- 2011 – Best Airport in Latin America – Caribbean of the Airport Service Quality Awards by Airports Council International and 2nd Best Airport by Size in the 5 to 15 million passenger category
See also
In Spanish: Aeropuerto Internacional de Cancún para niños
- List of the busiest airports in Mexico
- List of the busiest airports in Latin America
