Arrivals at the San Juan International Airport in May reached 551,000 passengers, about 22,000 less than the same month last year (-3.9%). Year-to-date through May, Aerostar (SJU) has reported 2.9 million passenger arrivals, a -2.7% decrease compared to the same period last year, or approximately 78,000 fewer passengers. Arrivals from North America (-2%) and the Caribbean (-15%) have decreased, while combined arrivals from Europe, South America, and Central America reached 156,000 (+11%).
May airlift capacity into SJU declined by 68,000 seats year-over-year (-9.7%). This reduction includes 32,000 fewer seats from Frontier Airlines, primarily affecting routes from the NYC area and SantoDomingo. While Frontier introduced new capacity from Fort Lauderdale, Atlanta, Chicago, and Punta Cana, overall losses were driven by the removal of 55,000 seats following Spirit Airlines’ closure. Additionally, Silver Airways’ bankruptcy contributed to a further decrease of 11,600 seats in May capacity.
A review of SJU inbound load factors from Airline Data Inc., along with lodging booking pace reports for June and July, indicates solid near-term travel demand. Consistent with this, the U.S. Travel Association expects July 2026 air travel demand to remain resilient but grow only modestly, as higher costs and economic uncertainty encourage shorter, more budget-conscious trips and create a flatter-peak summer demand environment.
Lodging Sector Projects Strong Performance in the Months Ahead
Looking ahead over the next four months, demand for summer hotels and short-term rentals remains strong. As of June 14, 2026, Amadeus Hospitality reports June occupancy at 82%, running 14% above the same time last year, with July performing even better at +18% year over year; all segments—including group, transient leisure, and business are pacing ahead through the end of July. While August and September currently trail last year, largely due to the boost from Bad Bunny’s residency in 2025, bookings are broadly in line with August 2024 levels and improving into September, which typically represents the seasonal low point due to peak Atlantic storm activity
Local short-term rental activity continues to trend positively, with AirDNA reporting that, as of June 15, 2026, all upcoming months—except August—are pacing ahead in booked listing nights. While summer demand is expected to outperform last year, the most notable gains are projected for the fourth quarter, with October and November bookings up 48% and 53% year over year, respectively.
Aligned with the local industry, AirDNA indicates that the U.S. average summer 2026 short-term rental demand is pacing well ahead of last year, with June and July bookings up double digits, although overall growth is moderating as increased supply and economic pressures lead to more normalized occupancy levels.
San Juan Strengthens Its Position as a Caribbean Homeport
With the end of the busy winter cruise season, the San Juan Cruise Port welcomed over 79,400 total visitors in May, a 28% increase over last year, with 20 vessels. Homeporting passengers neared 14,000, while transit passengers reached 65,500. Year-to-date, the Port of San Juan has welcomed nearly 970,000 passengers, 45% more than last year and the highest number post-pandemic. Homeporting passengers totaled over 257,000 so far this year, an 85% increase.
Norwegian Cruise Line’s cancellation of San Juan-based sailings, most recently announced on June 1,2026, with the removal of Norwegian Viva’s 2028 season, reflects a combination of port constraints and broader fleet redeployment toward higher-demand U.S. homeports. While these cancellations highlight ongoing volatility in cruise deployments, several new announcements, including luxury homeporting, expanded Carnival and Princess operations, and major port infrastructure upgrades, point to strengthening long-term fundamentals for Puerto Rico as a cruise hub. These developments reinforce San Juan’s positioning as a diversified and increasingly competitive homeport destination in the Caribbean.
According to Amadeus Travel trends, the luxury cruise segment is a fast-growing, high-yield niche, with premium and ultra-luxury lines expanding deployments and generating disproportionately higher per-passenger spending. In Puerto Rico, this growth is already translating into measurable gains. For example, Explora Journeys’ operations are expected to generate over $10.5 million in economic impact in the near term, positioning San Juan to capture an increasing share as infrastructure upgrades and new homeport activity support continued expansion in this segment.