Colombia led passenger growth across ASUR’s expanded airport network in September 2026, while total traffic remained virtually unchanged at 8.66 million. Gains in Colombia, Puerto Rico, Brazil and Ecuador offset declines in Mexico, Costa Rica and Curaçao.
Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste handled 8,656,117 passenger movements, compared with 8,659,156 a year earlier. Domestic traffic increased 1.8% to 6,431,646, while international movements fell 4.9% to 2,224,471.
The contrasting results highlight different travel patterns across the Americas. For tourism businesses, they also reveal why a stable network total can conceal significant changes at individual gateways.
Colombia Records the Strongest Market Growth
ASUR’s Colombian airports handled 1,474,663 passengers during September, up 5.7% year on year. Colombia recorded the strongest percentage growth among the seven geographical markets covered.
Both travel categories contributed to the increase. Domestic passenger movements rose 5.9% to 1,150,643, while international traffic increased 4.9% to 324,020.
Rionegro’s José María Córdova International Airport, serving the Medellín metropolitan region, remained the largest facility in ASUR’s Colombian portfolio. It handled 1,177,591 passengers, representing 4.8% growth.
Meanwhile, Montería recorded a sharper 23% increase, reaching 137,368 passengers. Its performance illustrates how regional airports can expand faster than larger gateways.
For destinations, higher airport throughput signals greater travel activity. However, passenger movements alone do not establish additional tourist arrivals, overnight stays or visitor expenditure.
Puerto Rico Gains as Brazil Benefits From Domestic Travel
Puerto Rico’s Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport handled 810,085 passengers in September, an increase of 3.1%. Domestic traffic rose 3.4%, while international movements advanced 1.1%.
The San Juan gateway therefore recorded growth across both categories. Nevertheless, January–September passenger traffic remained 2.9% below the corresponding period in 2025.
Brazil’s ASUR-operated airports handled 2,892,969 passengers, up 2.6%. Domestic movements increased 2.9% to 2,835,506, providing most of the reported volume.
International traffic declined 11.5%, demonstrating that Brazil’s overall improvement depended primarily on internal aviation.
Foz do Iguaçu Airport recorded 29% growth, handling 234,668 passengers. The airport serves the region associated with Iguaçu Falls, making its performance relevant to destination access.
Elsewhere, Petrolina increased passenger traffic by 38.9%, while Londrina recorded 22.6% growth. These gains show considerable variation within the Brazilian portfolio.
Quito’s International Traffic Supports Ecuador Growth
Quito’s Mariscal Sucre International Airport handled 443,670 passengers in September, rising 1.7% compared with a year earlier.
International movements increased 3.2% to 228,668, exceeding domestic passenger numbers. Domestic traffic remained almost unchanged, rising 0.1% to 215,002.
Unlike Brazil’s domestic-heavy performance, Quito’s improvement relied more strongly on international activity. This highlights the different traffic structures within ASUR’s airport network.
For Ecuador’s tourism sector, international air access remains relevant to destination accessibility. However, the airport figures do not identify how many passengers travelled for holidays.
Mexico and Costa Rica Face Weaker Gateway Traffic
ASUR’s Mexican airports recorded 2,446,399 passengers, down 6.1%. Domestic movements declined 3.7%, while international traffic fell 9.8%.
Cancún, the portfolio’s largest Mexican airport, handled 1,607,088 passengers, a reduction of 8.6%. Its international movements decreased 11.8%.
However, several smaller airports recorded gains. Villahermosa grew 9.4%, Tapachula increased 7.6%, and Cozumel advanced 5.4%.
Costa Rica’s Juan Santamaría International Airport handled 405,028 passengers, also down 6.1%. International movements fell 6.4% and accounted for most of the reduction.
Domestic traffic increased 16.3%, but its smaller scale could not offset the international decline.
Curaçao showed a similar imbalance. Total traffic fell 0.9% to 183,303, despite domestic growth of 8.9%. International movements declined 1.6% to 170,456.
Expanded Portfolio Broadens ASUR’s Regional Reach
September marked the first complete operating month following ASUR’s acquisition of CPC Aeroportos. Newly incorporated operations across Brazil, Ecuador, Costa Rica and Curaçao contributed approximately 3.9 million passengers.
The expanded group reported 36 airport concessions across the Americas. Its broader footprint combines domestic-heavy markets with gateways that depend substantially on international movements.
That changing composition makes consistent comparisons important when evaluating annual performance. Growth at acquired airports should remain distinguishable from the expansion of ASUR’s reporting portfolio.
For airlines and tourism operators, September’s results offer evidence of airport activity across contrasting markets. Colombia’s broad gains, Brazil’s domestic strength and weaker international gateways warrant separate assessment.
Local accommodation demand, visitor arrivals and airline capacity will provide a fuller picture of tourism performance than consolidated passenger totals alone.
For more travel news like this, keep reading Global Travel Wire
