Los Cabos International Airport (SJD) will press ahead with its 7 billion peso (roughly $370 million USD) modernization program despite a decline in both domestic and international passenger traffic, General Manager Francisco Villaseñor confirmed this week.
The largest construction phase of the Los Cabos airport expansion is expected to begin within months. It calls for a 52% expansion of the terminal building and seven new aircraft parking positions. Villaseñor called the traffic dip temporary and said no airlines have notified the airport of planned service cuts.
What Travelers Can Expect During Construction
The overhaul is part of a 2025 to 2029 Master Development Plan managed by Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico (GAP), the company that operates SJD. Terminal 2 upgrades already underway include 22,000 square meters of new space, three additional gates, 20 self-service check-in kiosks, 12 new immigration lanes, and a baggage hall that will be 33% larger than the current one.
Biometric e-gates are already live in Terminal 2 for U.S., Canadian, and Mexican passport holders age 18 and older traveling without children. Travelers passing through SJD during construction should expect temporary walls, longer walks to gates, and shifting ground transportation pickup zones.
Jet Fuel Costs Double, but No Route Cuts Yet
One pressure point for airlines is the cost of jet fuel at SJD, which has more than doubled in recent months. Prices jumped from about 11.66 pesos per liter (roughly $0.67 USD) in February to over 23.70 pesos per liter (about $1.37 USD). When fuel costs spike like this, carriers typically respond by cutting routes or reducing flight frequencies. So far, that has not happened in Los Cabos.
Villaseñor said the airport and the Los Cabos Tourism Trust (Fideicomiso de Turismo de Los Cabos) are jointly promoting Baja California Sur in major Mexican cities where domestic routes still have unfilled seats. The goal is to boost load factors on flights from destinations like Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey.
Long-Term Bet on Cabo’s Growth
SJD is already Mexico’s sixth-busiest airport. The long-term plan envisions merging the facility’s two terminals into a single unified terminal by 2028 or 2029. Officials say the added apron space and gates will open the door for airlines to launch new nonstop routes beyond the 32 U.S. cities SJD currently serves.
This story was first reported by the Gringo Gazette on May 29, 2026.