Passenger traffic at Mérida’s international airport fell 3.7% in June compared with the same month last year, marking the terminal’s first monthly decline since 2022, according to Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste (ASUR), the company that operates the facility.
The Manuel Crescencio Rejón International Airport handled 300,196 passengers in June, down from roughly 311,700 a year earlier — a loss of about 11,500 travelers. ASUR attributed the dip largely to softer demand on domestic routes, though international traffic also slowed during the month.
A Rare Dip in an Otherwise Strong Year
Despite the June slump, Mérida’s airport remains ahead of last year’s pace overall. From January through June, the terminal handled 2,002,228 passengers, a 7.6% increase over the 1,860,958 recorded in the same period of 2025 — a gain of more than 141,000 travelers. Domestic passengers drove most of that growth, climbing 8% to 1,789,596 for the half-year, while international arrivals and departures totaled 212,632, up 4.1%.
ASUR’s regional director, Héctor Navarrete Muñoz, has said the pace in the first half puts the airport on track to close 2026 with nearly 4 million passengers, which would be a record for the terminal — though June’s numbers suggest that growth may not be as steady in the months ahead.
A Wider Regional Slowdown
Mérida wasn’t alone. Of ASUR’s nine airports across southeastern Mexico, four posted declines in June while five saw gains. Cancún — the group’s busiest airport — also recorded a drop, alongside Cozumel and Oaxaca, while Huatulco, Minatitlán, Tapachula, Veracruz and Villahermosa grew. Across ASUR’s Mexican airports as a whole, June traffic fell 8.5% year-over-year, with domestic passengers down 4.7% and international travelers down 12.1%, according to the company’s monthly disclosure. Company-wide — including its airports in Puerto Rico and Colombia — total traffic dropped 5.8% for the month, even as Colombia’s network kept growing.
Timing Coincides With World Cup, Summer Break
The dip in June coincided with the start of Mexico’s summer vacation period and the 2026 World Cup, a stretch when tourism officials in several destinations reported softer-than-expected visitor numbers despite promotional efforts tied to the tournament. Mérida’s airport currently offers direct domestic connections to Mexico City, Monterrey, Guadalajara, Tijuana, Villahermosa and León, along with international routes to the United States, Canada, Cuba and Guatemala.
The airport has been on a multi-year expansion push as passenger numbers have climbed in recent years, and officials have pointed to that momentum — even with June’s stumble — as evidence the facility remains one of the busiest in the region. More detail on ASUR’s June traffic report is available here.
Fast Facts
- Mérida airport passengers, June 2026: 300,196, down 3.7% from June 2025
- First-half 2026 total: 2,002,228 passengers, up 7.6% year-over-year
- Domestic passengers, first half: 1,789,596, up 8%
- International passengers, first half: 212,632, up 4.1%
- ASUR’s Mexico-wide traffic in June: down 8.5% year-over-year
- Airports posting June declines: Mérida, Cancún, Cozumel, Oaxaca
- Airports posting June growth: Huatulco, Minatitlán, Tapachula, Veracruz, Villahermosa
- ASUR projects Mérida could close 2026 near 4 million passengers
Sources: Ahora Tabasco, Ahora Noticias, El Universal, Investing.com, StockTitan