Puebla Airport’s new routes show mixed results as some flights stall

The International Airport of Puebla launched twelve new domestic and international routes, including flights to Huatulco, Los Cabos, Puerto Vallarta and several Mexican cities. According to the National Chamber of Commerce (Canaco), the Huatulco route recorded a 90% increase in departures and a 94% rise on return trips, while flights to New York, Los Angeles, Houston and New Jersey saw occupancy growth of about 65%. The airport promotion campaign “Puebla Despega” and the new “Puebla te Premia” incentive aim to boost passenger numbers.

However, other analyses indicate that five of the new routes are operating at less than 35% capacity, prompting criticism of the state government’s planning under Governor Alejandro Armenta. Low load factors have raised doubts about the sustainability of the expanded schedule.

The divergent performance of the new routes reflects both strong demand on certain destinations and challenges in achieving sufficient passenger volumes across all added services.