There are many indicators around Los Cabos pointing to the fact that tourism is back to being fully operational in the area. One more indicator was a report this weekend that Los Cabos airport had a 13% increase in passengers in the first two months of 2022 over pre-pandemic number for the same period.
Details of the report
Los Cabos airport has seen a resurgence in business over the past two pandemic years. But even comparing statistics to the year pre-covid, 2019, there is a noticeable increase in passengers.
The report showed that Los Cabos airport saw almost 500 thousand passengers in the first two months of 2022. This report represents a growth of 13.7% versus the number of passengers who came through the gates in 2019. This report was released by the Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico (GAP).
Compared to other airports around Mexico, Los Cabos came in third with the number of passengers in the first two months of the year. The report used the arrivals and departures for its totals.
Statistics from years past
Overall statistics on visitors arriving at Los Cabos airport show a slight increase in tourism even back to the end of 2021. Last year Los Cabos had 5.6 million passengers, similar to the figures reached in 2019.
Domestic passengers have seen an increase. In 2019 the domestic passenger number was just under 2 million. In 2021 the increase was a couple hundred thousand passengers over 2 million.
As for international passengers, 2019 registered over three and a half million passengers. That was almost matched in 2021.
Because of the increase in passengers, Los Cabos airport has considered expansion and renovation. GAP is investing approximately 24 million dollars into the airport through 2024.
Health and Safety rankings of the airport
Health and safety are always the main priority when it comes to an airport’s goals for its passengers. Since the pandemic, this challenge has taken on a new meaning. This report indicated that all GAP airports have the Safe Travels certification given by the World Tourism Council. This certification is measured by an airport’s biosecurity measures and safety protocols, which provide confidence to passengers.
GAP was the first airport in the world to obtain the Airport Health Accreditation Program (AHA) certification and recertification by the Airports Council International (ACI). This distinction is particularly impressive because the institution has a presence in 183 countries and approximately 2000 airports.
The When and Where
On an annual basis, the months with the most traffic at the airport are January, July, and December. These months coincide with holidays and large vacation availability in the top markets, Canada and the United States. March and April are the two months that follow the most popular tourist months because of spring break and Easter.
As far as the busiest days of the week during the first two months of 2022, Saturday and Sunday record an average of 155 and 139 flights individually.
The most connected airlines to Los Cabos airport are Alaska with nine destinations, Southwest with 9, and American Airlines with 8. Some of the most recent carriers adding flights are JetBlue in June of 2021 and Flair in February 2022.
After not flying during the pandemic, a couple of airlines returning to Los Cabos airport are Frontier returning this month and Spirit last May. Finally, a much-anticipated add-on to incoming flights is Spirit announcing a new direct flight from Spain starting in June.
These figures are not expected to slow down through March or April, and they could see a more critical increase because of spring break and Easter vacation. Another factor too significant to overlook is Canada easing travel restrictions. In March, 39 flights will arrive a day from Canada alone. This is an essential link for Los Cabos tourism because Canada and the United States are the primary markets.
