How big Cancun airport actually is
Bigger than most first-time visitors expect, and second only to Mexico City in the whole country.
Figures for a full calendar year are published after it closes. The 24.3 million above covers January to October 2025, which is the most recent verified period. We update this page when the annual figure is released rather than estimating the remainder.
What that scale means for you
- Immigration queues are real. When several international flights land within the same hour, the wait can go from ten minutes to forty. We publish the current wait by terminal on the home page.
- Terminals are far apart. They are separate buildings, connected by a free shuttle. Getting from one to another is a bus ride, not a walk.
- The arrivals hall is busy and commercial. Expect to be approached with offers the moment you walk out. See our arrivals guide for what that looks like.
- High season changes everything. December through April, plus July and August, are noticeably busier at every stage.
The region it serves
Cancun airport is the gateway not just to Cancun but to the whole Mexican Caribbean: Playa del Carmen, Tulum, Isla Mujeres, Cozumel, Holbox and the archaeological sites inland, including Chichén Itzá. More than 29 million visitors travelled to Cancun and the Riviera Maya in 2025.
That is why the question "how do I get out of the airport" matters more here than at most airports: your hotel may be twenty minutes away, or two hours.
Guides for your moment
Two hours to Tulum, twenty minutes to the Hotel Zone
The distance to your hotel changes the price and the sensible way to travel. Tell us where you're staying and we'll show you the fixed price for that zone.
26 destination zones covered · fixed price per vehicleAirport codes and identification
The two codes are not interchangeable. CUN is what you will see on a ticket, a bag tag and a departure board; MMUN is what a flight plan, an approach chart and air traffic control use. A table in circulation gives the IATA code as CUM — that belongs to Cumaná, Venezuela.
| IATA code | CUN |
| ICAO code | MMUN |
| ICAO reference code | 4E |
| Airport reference point | 21°02'33.87"N 086°52'23.52"W Geometric centre of the airport |
| Distance from the city | 15 km south of Cancun |
| Reference elevation | 7 m |
| Reference temperature | 31 °C |
| Traffic permitted | VFR / IFR |
| Operating hours | H24 · 24 hours |
Runways
Two parallel runways that can be worked at the same time. The long one takes everything that flies here, up to a Boeing 747.
| Runway | Dimensions | Surface | Strength (PCN) | Bearing | Threshold elevation | Declared distances |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12R/30L | 3500 × 60 m 11483 × 197 ft | ASPH | 78/F/A/X/T | 123.68 / 303.69 | 12R · 5.99 m (19.65 ft) 30L · 5.66 m (18.57 ft) | 3500 m |
| 12L/30R | 2800 × 45 m 9186 × 148 ft | ASPH | 70/F/A/X/T | 123.68 / 303.69 | 12L · 6.75 m (22.15 ft) 30R · 5.5 m (18.04 ft) | 2800 m |
Instrument approach
Both 12 thresholds have a CAT I precision approach. The 30 ends are non-precision, with PAPI.
| Runway | Category | Approach lighting | ILS | Decision height |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12R | CAT I | ALS-F LIH · 900 m | ICUN 111.1 · 3.0° | 200 ft |
| 12L | CAT I | ALS-F LIH · 900 m | INCP 110.7 · 3.0° | 200 ft |
| 30L | — | — | PAPI 3° | — |
| 30R | — | — | PAPI 2R | — |
Rescue and firefighting
| ICAO category | IX |
| Types | JET A-1 · AVGAS 100/130 |
| Storage | JET A-1 15,000,000 L · AVGAS 100/130 60,000 L |
Four fire-extinguishing units, one water tender and two support vehicles, across two rescue and firefighting stations. Recovery equipment rated for aircraft up to a Boeing 747.
Frequencies and navigation aids
| Service | Call sign | Frequency | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| ATIS | Cancun Information | 127.7 | H24 |
| TWR | Cancun Tower | 118.6 | H24 |
| TWR | Cancun Tower | 118.1 | H24 |
| ARR | Cancun Arrivals | 123.2 | H24 |
| DEP | Cancun Departures | 119.8 | — |
| APP | Cancun Approach | 121.1 | — |
| FIS | Cancun Flight Information | 122.30 | H24 |
| SMC | Cancun Ground | 121.7 | — |
| CD | Cancun Clearance | 122.1 | — |
| Aid | Ident | Frequency | Power |
|---|---|---|---|
| VOR/DME | CUN | 113.6 | 100 W |
| VOR/DME | NCP | 114.5 | 100 W |
Aeronautical data is published for reference. It is not a substitute for the current aeronautical information publication, which is what an actual flight is planned against.
Common questions
What is Cancun airport called?
Its full name is Cancún International Airport — Aeropuerto Internacional de Cancún in Spanish. The IATA code is CUN, the one on your boarding pass, and the ICAO code is MMUN. It sits about 15 kilometres south of the city on Federal Highway 307, and it is Mexico's second busiest airport after Mexico City.