Few LatAm Airports Have Fully Recovered
Only Puerto Escondido and Baja California's airports exceed pre-pandemic traffic; the rest still lag.
Most travel around the globe has struggled since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020. It’s safe to say that no airport had more traffic in 2020 than it did in 2019. However, 2021 brought a slightly different story. A select few, mostly tourist destinations, had more airport traffic last year than before the pandemic started.
Puerto Escondido stands out with almost a 30% growth. The tiny airport, located in the Mexican state of Oaxaca, has only two destinations: Mexico City and Guadalajara. However, it hasn’t slowed down ex-pats and remote Mexican workers to flock to its paradise. In Puerto Escondido, no international hotel brands or big nightclubs have come to do business yet, which gives the town a more relaxed and exclusive vibe.
In contrast to that small-town vibe is the Baja California peninsula in Mexico. Its two major airports, serving Los Cabos and Tijuana, have also recovered from the pandemic. Combined, both airports transported over 15M passengers last year. For decades, the region has been an escape for Californians to go and spend US dollars vacationing in luxury hotels and villas. The latest notable project in the peninsula is the St. Regis Hotel, which will offer 25 residences in Los Cabos, starting at $3M for a condo and $9M for a villa.