PUERTO VALLARTA (PVDN) – Despite recording an underwhelming growth rate of less than 1% in June, Puerto Vallarta International Airport is on track to set another annual record, having already exceeded 3.6 million passengers in the first half of 2023. International tourism, however, saw a decline compared to last year.
According to preliminary data released by Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico (GAP), its 12 Mexican airports registered a cumulative increase in total passenger traffic of 12.3% in May 2023 compared to the same period last year. Guadalajara, Tijuana, Los Cabos, and Puerto Vallarta airports showed respective growth rates of 20.6%, 10.9%, 7.4%, and 0.6% compared to June 2022.
Puerto Vallarta International Airport serviced 507,700 passengers in June 2023, a modest 0.6% increase from the 504,800 passengers in June 2022. However, the airport recorded an overall increase of 17.2% in passenger traffic during the first half of the year, reaching 3,662,400 passengers. This promising surge suggests a strong probability of the airport setting a new record by year-end.
The airport saw 260,000 domestic arrivals in June, a 12.6% increase compared to the 230,900 arrivals in the same month of 2022. The total domestic passenger count for the first half of the year stood at 1,397,600, representing a 17.4% year-on-year increase.
In contrast, international arrivals showed a decline, with 247,700 passengers in June 2023, a 9.6% decrease from the 273,900 passengers in June 2022. Despite the drop in June, the airport recorded a total of 2,264,800 international passengers in the first half of the year, a 17.1% increase from the previous year.
The GAP reported a 15.9% increase in seat availability in June 2023 compared to June 2022. However, the load factor – a key indicator of airlines’ capacity utilization – fell from 82.3% to 79.6% in the same period, indicating a slight decrease in efficiency.
June also saw the inauguration of several new flight routes, including Guadalajara to Puerto Vallarta operated by Volaris, Mexicali to Monterrey by Viva Aerobus, and Puerto Vallarta to Los Angeles by JetBlue. These new connections further solidify the airport’s role as a major transportation hub, notwithstanding the minor setbacks faced in June.
