Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, October 14, 2026 — International passenger traffic at Puerto Vallarta’s airport fell 19.4% in January–September 2026 compared with the previous year, according to preliminary figures from operator GAP.
GAP’s October 6 traffic report puts international traffic at 2,272,600 passenger movements, down from 2,819,900 in the same period of 2025. That is a reduction of 547,300.
The decline extends beyond international flights. As Vallarta Daily reported in its September traffic coverage, the airport handled 307,100 passengers that month, down 10.4%. Total traffic through September reached about 4.54 million, down 12.3%.
For Vallarta’s hotels, restaurants and residents arranging winter travel, the question is whether the coming season’s flights can bring a recovery.
The figures first need a careful reading. Under GAP’s passenger definitions, airport totals include arriving and departing passengers, while “international” describes a flight crossing Mexico’s borders. It does not describe the passenger’s nationality.
For example, a Vallarta resident flying to Canada and returning registers two international passenger movements. The 19.4% decline therefore cannot be read as an equivalent reduction in individual foreign tourists or hotel guests.
Fewer seats are part of the explanation
GAP attributes September’s weakness mainly to reduced airline capacity, particularly in the domestic market. It identifies San Francisco and Phoenix among Vallarta’s international routes with the largest reductions.
Across GAP’s network, seats offered fell 7.2% in September, while the share of seats filled rose from 80.7% to 81.0%. Those are group figures; the report provides no equivalent seat count for Vallarta.
That combination illustrates how fewer passengers can travel even when aircraft remain similarly full. For someone booking a return flight or a family visit, a busy plane does not necessarily mean the airline offers as many seats or departure choices as before.
GAP also reported partial disruption at Vallarta and Los Cabos due to Hurricane Polo in late September. Its monthly explanation does not establish the causes of Vallarta’s entire nine-month international decline.
Winter additions offer a route toward recovery
Some airlines have announced additional Canadian service for winter 2026–2027.
According to Porter’s winter network announcement, Edmonton–Puerto Vallarta service is scheduled to begin November 3, with three weekly flights at peak frequency. The airline also plans to increase Toronto–Vallarta service from five flights weekly to daily.
Air Canada’s announced winter timetable lists Calgary–Vallarta flights on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from December 10 through April 10, operated by Air Canada Rouge.
Another addition follows December 16. Flair’s announcement schedules weekly nonstop service from Montreal, a route previously covered in Vallarta Daily’s report on the new Canadian connection.
These additions create more opportunities to reach Vallarta from specific Canadian cities. Their contribution to a recovery will depend on how they compare with reductions elsewhere and how many travelers book the available seats.
Hotels are looking for a recovery in demand
Abel Villa Sánchez, president of Puerto Vallarta’s hotel association, described matching last winter as a favorable outcome.
“If we reach numbers similar to winter 2025–2026, it would be a good winter,” he said, translated from Spanish.
Villa Sánchez also linked stronger demand with airlines maintaining flights and frequencies. His assessment provides a benchmark for the season, but the airport filing and airline announcements do not supply a current, destination-wide winter hotel booking total.
For local businesses, those reservations connect airline schedules with decisions about staffing and supplies. More available flights can help guests reach the destination; booked rooms give hotels a clearer basis for preparing for their arrival.
For example, a Marina Vallarta hotel planning Christmas shifts could compare reservations for December 24–31 with bookings held for those same nights at this point last October. That comparison can guide holiday staffing long before December’s airport passengers are counted.
