Tulum's Felipe Carrillo Puerto International Airport opened in the forest inland from the town in December 2023, and from January 2027 far fewer planes will land on it. United flies its last Newark to Tulum flight on 2 January and its last from Houston on 4 January, Mexico News Daily reported on 5 November 2026. American's final Miami flight follows on 5 January, and Volaris stops two days later.
Tulum airport itself stays open. For winter and spring 2027 you can still fly nonstop to Tulum from Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth, several Canadian cities and both Mexico City airports. From anywhere else, book Cancún: Tulum is about 120km down the coast road, 1.5 to 2 hours by car and a little longer by bus.
Which airlines still fly to Tulum in 2027
In November 2026 the Tulum airport website lists nine airlines. By mid-January United and Volaris will have gone, and American will be down to one route. Checked November 2026.
| Airline | Route to Tulum (TQO) | Winter and spring 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| United | Newark, Houston | Last flights 2 January (Newark) and 4 January (Houston) |
| American | Miami | Last flight 5 January |
| American | Dallas-Fort Worth | Continuing, no end date announced |
| Delta | Atlanta | Daily from 22 November, except five a week from 12 January to 3 March; paused from 3 May |
| Volaris | Routes within Mexico | Suspended from 7 January |
| Aeroméxico | Mexico City | Suspended since the end of September 2026 |
| Air Canada, WestJet, Air Transat | Toronto, Montreal, Quebec City, Calgary | Seasonal, until March or April |
| Viva Aerobus | Mexico City (both airports), Monterrey, Guadalajara | No change announced |
| Mexicana | Mexico City (Felipe Ángeles) | Adding flights |
Delta's Atlanta flight, now its only Tulum route, runs daily from 22 November to 2 May, except for 12 January to 3 March, when it drops to five a week with no Tuesdays or Wednesdays. It then pauses from 3 May and should return seasonally in November 2027, according to Por Esto, the Quintana Roo newspaper, on 7 November 2026. Treat those spring dates as provisional until they appear on delta.com.
Volaris told El Financiero it would "temporarily suspend certain flights with lower load factors", Tulum among them, and has given no return date.
Canada is better served than the US over the 2026-27 winter. Air Canada, WestJet and Air Transat were due back from 24 October, the airport said that month, and Por Esto reports the Canadian routes running until March or April 2027 with one or two flights a week each. Within Mexico, Viva Aerobus has announced no change, and Mexicana is the one carrier adding Tulum flights.
Is Tulum airport closing?
No. In an October 2026 statement reported by Uno TV, the airport's management said it is operating normally and described the Aeroméxico suspension as a commercial decision tied to the low season. What has changed is demand. Mexican aviation authority figures quoted by Mexico News Daily show 471,500 passengers used the airport from January to June 2026, down 33.2% on the same months of 2025.
The route map keeps shrinking into spring. Once the Canadian season ends in March or April and Delta pauses Atlanta on 3 May, American's Dallas route is the only US nonstop with no announced end date. Anyone planning a May or June 2027 trip should start from Cancún.
Tulum or Cancún: which airport to fly into
Fly into Tulum if you live near Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth or one of the Canadian cities above and can get a nonstop. You land south of town and skip the 1.5 to 2 hour drive from Cancún.
Everyone else should book Cancún. Connecting through Atlanta or Dallas to reach Tulum adds a second flight to save part of the drive, and a missed connection on a route with one flight a day can cost you a beach day. Cancún has far more nonstop routes, including from London: Virgin Atlantic flies from Heathrow three times a week until 11 April 2027, as our winter sun beaches guide sets out.
Where you sleep matters too. Xpu-Ha, a calm bay between Playa del Carmen and Tulum, is a little over 80km from Cancún airport by road, according to transfer firm MyTransfers. With Tulum's routes shrinking, Cancún's far wider choice of flights makes it the easier airport for a stay there.
Cancún airport to Tulum by bus, train, shuttle or car
Every option below starts at Cancún airport. The bus stops in town and the train a few kilometres outside it, so both leave you a taxi ride from the beach zone, while shuttles and transfers go door to door. Bus figures are from ADO's November 2026 listings on CheckMyBus, road figures from The Tulum Times' November 2026 transport guide. Checked November 2026.
| Option | Time to Tulum | Cost | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| ADO bus | About 2 hours 20 minutes to 2.5 hours | About 15 to 29 USD per person | Departures through the day, fewer in the evening; ends at Tulum's bus station |
| Tren Maya | About 2 hours, plus the airport shuttle | 287 pesos on the national fare; foreign visitors pay a higher international fare, shown on the booking site | Three departures a day in April 2026; shuttle bus links terminals to station |
| Shared shuttle | 2 to 3 hours | About 30 to 55 USD per person | Door to door, but may make several stops |
| Private transfer | 1.5 to 2 hours | About 90 to 160 USD per vehicle | Up to about four people; door to door, including beach-zone hotels |
| Hire car | About 1.5 hours | About 30 to 55 USD a day plus fuel and tolls | Mandatory third-party insurance often not in the headline rate |
For one or two people landing in daylight, ADO's bus is the best value. Buy tickets at the ADO desk in arrivals or on the ADO app, and check the time of the last bus before you fly: departures thin out in the evening, and if you land late, book a transfer.
If you land early and would rather have a train seat than a minibus, take the Tren Maya. A shuttle bus, Tren Maya Conecta, crosses the highway from the terminals to the station; Posta reported a 30 peso fare when it started in August 2026.
Trains call at Puerto Morelos and Playa del Carmen. Posta's April 2026 report put the run at about two hours to Tulum station (2 hours 10 minutes to Tulum Aeropuerto, the next stop), and the national fare, paid by Mexican citizens and residents, at 287 pesos. Foreign visitors pay the higher international fare and need a passport to buy it, Crónica reported in October 2026. Posta listed only three departures a day from the airport station, so check times and buy seats on the official Tren Maya booking site before you rely on it.
For a family or a group of three or four, a private transfer usually costs less than the airport taxi rank, where unmetered cabs charge 120 to 180 USD, according to The Tulum Times. If you do take one, agree the fare in writing before you set off.
From the bus station or train to the beach
Tulum's bus station is on Avenida Tulum, the main road through town, and the Tren Maya station is a few kilometres from the centre. Either way you finish with a taxi to the beach zone; settle the fare before you get in. Our Tulum Beach review has the town-to-beach taxi fares, the bike-hire option and which stretches of sand are free to use.
If Tulum's beach clubs are not what you want, Xpu-Ha is calmer and closer to Cancún. Our Xpu-Ha Beach review covers the gates, the entry bracelets and the walk down. For the rest of this coast, the Cancún beaches guide and our Mexico beaches guide pick up where this one stops.
Booking Tulum for January to April 2027
Airlines are leaving just as Tulum's beaches come into their best months. The Tulum Times' sargassum guide, updated in October 2026, names December to February as the clearest and calls March and April generally manageable; the brown seaweed peaks from May to September.
If you hold a United booking to Tulum after 4 January, United says you can move it to a nearby airport, in practice Cancún, or take a refund. Book Cancún flights for any trip from mid-January onward unless you are flying Delta from Atlanta, American from Dallas or a Canadian carrier before the end of March. If you are flying Delta between 12 January and 3 March, check the day: there are no Tuesday or Wednesday flights in that window.
From Cancún, budget two hours or more from the arrivals hall to the sand. Land by mid-afternoon and the ADO bus gets you to Tulum for under 30 USD; land late, and book a transfer before you fly.
