Oleg Yunakov · CC BY-SA 4.0 · cropped, adjusted
Quintana Roo tourism secretary Bernardo Cueto has confirmed a 13 destination winter schedule for Tulum International Airport, running October 25 to March 27 on 10 airlines, with five North American city pairs returning after last season’s cuts. Cueto detailed the schedule to the trade outlet Reportur, and The Tulum Times reported the plan on September 5.
Travelers in Toronto, Montreal, Quebec City, Calgary and the New York area can fly direct to Tulum again this winter instead of routing through Cancun, so compare the returning nonstops with Cancun options before locking in holiday plans. Once you land, start with things to do in Tulum to match your resort zone to your arrival airport.
- Winter schedule: 13 destinations on 10 airlines from October 25 to March 27.
- Returning cities: Toronto, Montreal, Quebec City, Calgary and Newark.
- Returning airlines: Air Canada, Air Transat, WestJet and United Airlines.
- First flights: Montreal, Quebec City and Toronto services start in late October.
- Still flying: Dallas, Miami, Atlanta and Houston never stopped.
Five City Pairs Return Between October and December
Four of the five returning links serve Canada, and they arrive in stages from late October through December before running to March 2027. Tulum tourism director Haydee Hernandez Pastrana said in early August that United Airlines, Air Canada, Air Transat and WestJet had confirmed the return, calling the commitments a vote of confidence in the terminal.
Montreal gets two choices. Air Canada flies direct every Thursday from late October into early April, while Air Transat operates every Sunday from the end of October to mid April. Toronto also gets two options, with Air Canada flying weekly Sunday service all winter and WestJet flying twice a week on Thursdays and Saturdays.
How the Weekly Schedules Break Down
Smaller Canadian cities are included. WestJet flies Calgary to Tulum twice a week on Thursdays and Saturdays starting at the end of October, and Air Transat adds a weekly Sunday flight from Quebec City in late October. Competition on the shared corridors should help fares, since two carriers will contest both Montreal and Toronto.
The United States addition lands later. United Airlines starts Newark to Tulum twice a week on Thursdays and Sundays in the middle of December and runs it through the end of January, covering the peak Christmas and New Year window for the New York metropolitan area. The Cancun Sun reported the full new route list on September 23.
Winter Program Totals 13 Destinations
Nine of the 13 winter destinations sit outside Mexico and four sit inside it. The international list covers Calgary, Montreal, Quebec City and Toronto in Canada plus Newark, Dallas, Miami, Atlanta and Houston in the United States. Domestic links connect Tulum with Mexico City, the Felipe Angeles airport north of the capital, Monterrey and Guadalajara.
Only five of the nine international destinations are genuinely new. Dallas, Miami, Atlanta and Houston kept flying through the spring and were the only international routes the airport still held, so folding them into a recovery total mixes continuing service with restored service. Governor Mara Lezama has used the same headline count of 13 routes on 10 carriers.
What This Means for Holiday Bookings
Book the returning Canadian flights first if your dates are fixed, because late October and Christmas week seats on restored routes usually go before schedules settle. Newark travelers face a narrower window, with United only operating from mid December to the end of January, so decide early whether to grab those dates or connect through a Canadian gateway or Cancun. Pair the flight choice with the Tulum ruins visitor guide if a day trip shapes where you stay.
Do not assume the schedule is final. Seasonal services shift often, and Tulum’s own history proves it, so recheck the airline timetable before buying hotels or transfers. If Tulum fares stay high, compare Cancun all inclusive resorts and the 90 minute Highway 307 drive before ruling Cancun out.
| If you… | What to do |
|---|---|
| Fly from Toronto or Montreal | Pick between Air Canada and the competing carrier on your corridor for late October onward. |
| Fly from Calgary or Quebec City | Book WestJet or Air Transat nonstops starting in late October before winter seats tighten. |
| Fly from the New York area | Target United Newark flights from mid December to the end of January. |
| Need flexible dates | Compare Tulum nonstops with Cancun routings on price and the Highway 307 transfer. |
Late October is the first gate. Montreal, Quebec City and Toronto services start then, so book fixed holiday dates now.
Mid December is the Newark gate. United only flies to the end of January, so New York area travelers should not wait.
March 27 is the season end. Winter frequencies run into late March, so spring trips need a fresh schedule check.
Which airlines fly direct to Tulum this winter?
Air Canada, Air Transat and WestJet cover the four Canadian cities, and United Airlines flies Newark, within a 13 destination winter program.
When do the Tulum nonstops start?
Canadian services begin in late October, with the first operations from October 25, while United Newark flights start in mid December.
Are Dallas, Miami, Atlanta and Houston new Tulum routes?
No. Those four United States routes kept flying through the spring, so only five city pairs count as returning service.
Should I still consider flying to Cancun?
Yes, when Tulum fares run high. Cancun keeps broad service and the drive to Tulum takes about 90 minutes on Highway 307.
