Mexico: New Tulum International Airport is Inaugurated
The new Tulum International Airport ‘Felipe Carrillo Puerto’, located in the Mexican Caribbean, was inaugurated this Friday by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, and on its first day of operations received 11 domestic flights, including the first commercial flight, private flights where several governors and secretaries of state traveled, as well as military aircraft.
But the air terminal opened unfinished and with serious failures due to the weather in the region. Moments before Lopez Obrador’s arrival, an unexpected rain shower revealed leaks in the roof of the main hall, which caused a rapid mobilization to try to clean the puddles that formed all over the venue.
Upon his arrival, López Obrador took a short time to greet the attendees and addressed the presidium, where military uniforms were predominant.
During his speech, the President of Mexico highlighted the investment being made for the growth of the southeast of the country with works such as the Tren Maya (Mayan Train), he said, with social justice for the benefit of the citizens.
A Singular Airport
The ‘airport of the jungle’, as some call it, was built on land in the municipality of Felipe Carrillo Puerto, very close to the limits with the beach resort of Tulum, hence the name of the airport includes one of the emblematic municipalities of the Mayan zone and the tourist heart of Quintana Roo. It has 13 boarding lounges with more than 1,000 seats and waiting rooms.
López Obrador stated that it is the most equipped airport in the Yucatán Peninsula, with a runway 3,700 meters long, making it one of the largest in the country. More than 17,000 jobs and 1,000 military units of heavy machinery were created during its construction.
The first flight of the Viva Aerobus airline arrived at the Tulum terminal with 179 passengers and an hour delay. The long wait caused some of the passengers, including children from the Ixchel choir, to feel sick due to the intense heat and lack of air conditioning.
Together with the airports of Cancun, Cozumel and Chetumal, the Tulum airport is the fourth international airport operating in Quintana Roo and is expected to become the second most important in the state, as it has the capacity to receive 5.5 million passengers in the first stage.
Although no dates have been given for the start of operations, it was reported that an office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be opened within the precinct where passports can be processed.
The private flight terminal has a hangar for 11 executive aircraft and a 45-meter high control tower equipped with the latest technology.
With information from EFE
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