Sergio León, the president of Entrepreneurs for Quintana Roo, has confirmed that at least 70 companies are keen on participating in the development of the new Tulum airport. This airport, overseen by the federal government, is scheduled to commence operations and receive its first flights on December 1.
On Monday, a group of 185 entrepreneurs took a tour to observe the progress of the airport’s construction, which is being led by the Secretariat of National Defense.
“The system is truly fascinating, with people and machinery bustling around everywhere. It may seem like there are only a few months left until December, but it’s a situation similar to what happened with AIFA. No one expected it to be completed or doubted whether it would successfully handle landings and takeoffs. Today, based on that expertise and considering what we’ve seen with the Tren Maya, it brings a significant opportunity,” Sergio León explained.
He further elaborated that among the entrepreneurs who participated in the tour, at least 70 of them are local and are interested in contributing to various aspects of the airport complex, ranging from food services to vehicle rentals.
“Over 70 entrepreneurs expressed interest in different areas, including operational aspects such as car rentals, commercialization of retail spaces, restaurants, duty-free shops, and much more. There is even interest in the hotel sector,” he affirmed.
Tren Maya Station
Sergio León emphasized that when the airport commences operations on December 1, a Tren Maya station will also be inaugurated. This will allow visitors arriving by plane to seamlessly connect to the 1,554-kilometer railway project that spans five states in the southern-southeast region of Mexico.
“The train will have a stop at the airport, enabling Tren Maya users to conveniently travel to and from the airport,” highlighted the entrepreneur.
Although the Tulum airport is set to receive its first flights on December 1, Sergio León mentioned that the construction might take longer to reach 100% completion.
“The project may take another year to reach 100% completion, but we will have an operational airport starting from December 1. By the end of the project’s first phase, it is expected to handle five million passengers annually,” he stated.
Interested Airlines
Additionally, Sergio León revealed that several commercial airlines, including Aeroméxico and Viva Aerobús, have expressed their interest in operating at the Tulum airport. On an international scale, Copa Airlines has also shown its intention to provide import and export services.
The airport is being constructed with an investment of 15 billion pesos, of which eight billion pesos have already been invested. Currently, the project has reached a progress milestone of 35%.
Authorities from Belize have also shown interest in the airport, and representatives from the country were present during the tour. Another visit to the facility will be conducted between August and October, as the construction progresses rapidly.
