Mexican Caribbean Faces US Air Seat Drop Of Nearly 1 Million

Image: United Airlines reduced its seat capacity to Mexico by 17%. (Source: United Airlines)
Image: United Airlines reduced its seat capacity to Mexico by 17%. (Source: United Airlines)
Claudette Covey
by Claudette Covey
Last updated: 12:00 PM ET, Fri July 17, 2026

As summer travel heats up, the Mexican Caribbean is experiencing a cooling-off among American visitors, thanks to a reduction in U.S. air seats.

Such destinations as Cancun, Cozumel and Tulum will lose an estimated 561,000 seats and nearly 3,000 flights, respectively, and 989,000 seats throughout the Mexican Caribbean beach destinations, according to a report from Mexico News Daily.

The data is based on a report from the Center for Advanced Research in Sustainable Tourism, which found that while increasing numbers of travelers are opting for trips to Europe and Asia over Mexico.

American Airlines reduced its seat capacity by nearly 15%, and United Airlines by almost 17%, a trend exacerbated by Spirit Airlines' demise, which reduced seat capacity by 165,000 seats in the Mexican Caribbean.

Other issues facing Mexico’s tourism industry include a record sargassum season, the seemingly endless rise in ticket prices, and the impact of President Donald Trump’s immigration policy.


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