How to Apply to ASUR Mexico

11 min read Last updated April 20, 2026 1 open positions
Blake Crosley
Blake Crosley Researched using publicly available information, hiring data, and ATS analysis.

Key Takeaways

  • ASUR is a Mexican airport operator headquartered in Mexico City running 16 airports across Mexico (9), Colombia (6), and Puerto Rico (1) - listed on BMV (ASURB) and NYSE ADR (ASR).
  • Cancun (CUN) is the crown jewel: ~30 million passengers per year, the largest airport in Mexico by volume, and the dominant entry point for Caribbean tourism.
  • One of three privately-operated Mexican airport groups alongside GAP and OMA, all created from the 1998 federal privatization; original concessions run ~50 years with about 25 remaining.
  • CEO Adolfo Castro has led the company since 2009 - an unusually long tenure that shapes a deliberate, continuity-oriented culture.
  • Apply via the in-house portal talento.asur.com.mx with a Mexican-format CV in Spanish (Colombia hoja de vida for Airplan roles, English resume for SJU/Aerostar).
  • Expect a regulated, deliberate hiring process: HR screen, technical/functional interviews, psychometric testing, criminal and aviation security background checks, then offer.
  • Tourism dependency is real - US visitor flows, peso/dollar dynamics, hurricanes, Quintana Roo security perception, and the new Tulum International Airport (TQO, opened 2023) all matter to revenue. Be honest about this in interviews.
  • Roles are airport-specific and on-site by default. Generic 'anywhere in ASUR' applications underperform; pick your airport and apply there.

About ASUR Mexico

Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S.A.B. de C.V. (BMV: ASURB; NYSE: ASR) is a Mexican airport operator headquartered in Mexico City. ASUR holds federal concessions to operate 16 airports across three countries: 9 in southeastern Mexico, 6 in Colombia (through its Airplan subsidiary), and 1 in Puerto Rico (through the Aerostar Airport Holdings consortium). It is one of three privately-operated Mexican airport groups created out of the 1998 Mexican government privatization, alongside GAP (Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico) and OMA (Grupo Aeroportuario Centro Norte). CEO Adolfo Castro Rivas has led the company since 2009 - an unusually long tenure in Mexican corporate leadership and a defining factor of how the company runs. The Mexican portfolio is anchored by Cancun (CUN), the largest passenger airport in Mexico by volume at roughly 30 million passengers per year and the engine of Caribbean tourism into the country. The other 8 Mexican airports are Merida (MID, Yucatan capital), Cozumel (CZM, cruise and dive tourism), Veracruz (VER, Gulf coast), Oaxaca (OAX, cultural tourism), Huatulco (HUX, Pacific resort), Villahermosa (VSA, oil region), Minatitlan (MTT, petrochemicals), and Tapachula (TAP, Guatemala border). Colombia operations (acquired through Airplan) cover Medellin Jose Maria Cordova (MDE), Cartagena Rafael Nunez (CTG), Cucuta, Quibdo, Corozal, and Monteria - approximately 10 million passengers annually. Puerto Rico operations are San Juan Luis Munoz Marin International (SJU) via Aerostar Airport Holdings, a 50/50 consortium with Highstar Capital. Direct headcount is approximately 3,000 employees. Revenue splits between aeronautical income (passenger fees regulated as Tarifa de Uso Aeroportuario or TUA, plus landing fees) and non-aeronautical income from parking, retail and dining concessions, advertising, and real estate development. The original 1998 concessions run roughly 50 years; about 25 years remain. Be candid about the operating environment. ASUR's revenue is heavily concentrated in Cancun and the Caribbean tourism corridor, which means US visitor demand, peso/dollar dynamics, hurricane seasons, and the security perception of Quintana Roo all matter directly to the P&L. The new state-operated Tulum International Airport (TQO) opened in late 2023 and competes for Mayan Riviera traffic that historically flowed through CUN. AFAC (Agencia Federal de Aviacion Civil) and SCT periodically review TUA tariff caps, which constrains pricing power. Colombia and Puerto Rico operations add multi-jurisdiction regulatory and labor complexity. ASUR is a regulated infrastructure operator running long-duration concession businesses - not a tech startup - and the culture reflects that.

Application Process

  1. 1
    Search for openings on the official ASUR careers portal at talento

    Search for openings on the official ASUR careers portal at talento.asur.com.mx (or asur.com.mx/empleos) and identify roles by airport (Mexico City corporate HQ, Cancun, Merida, Cozumel, Veracruz, Oaxaca, Huatulco, Villahermosa, Minatitlan, Tapachula, the 6 Colombian airports via Airplan, or San Juan via Aerostar) and by function (operations, commercial, finance, engineering, technology, security, HR).

  2. 2
    Create a candidate profile with a Mexican CV format - include full legal name, R

    Create a candidate profile with a Mexican CV format - include full legal name, RFC and CURP if available, complete employment history with dates, and educational credentials with cedula profesional numbers for licensed roles.

  3. 3
    Tailor your CV to the specific posting using Spanish keywords from the job descr

    Tailor your CV to the specific posting using Spanish keywords from the job description. For Colombia roles submit a Colombia-formatted hoja de vida; for San Juan roles submit a parallel English resume with Spanish CV.

  4. 4
    Indicate physical mobility honestly

    Indicate physical mobility honestly. Roles are tied to a specific airport (CUN, MID, MDE, SJU, etc.) and relocation is rarely subsidized for non-management positions.

  5. 5
    Expect an initial HR screen by phone or video focused on availability, salary ex

    Expect an initial HR screen by phone or video focused on availability, salary expectations in MXN (or COP for Colombia, USD for Puerto Rico), and motivation for the airport sector specifically rather than generic corporate work.

  6. 6
    Technical or functional interviews follow, often with the hiring manager and a p

    Technical or functional interviews follow, often with the hiring manager and a peer from the destination airport or department. For operations roles expect scenario questions about IROPs (irregular operations), security protocols, and AFAC compliance; for Colombia, Aerocivil compliance; for SJU, FAA and TSA frameworks.

  7. 7
    Psychometric testing is common in Mexican corporate hiring (16PF, Cleaver, Terma

    Psychometric testing is common in Mexican corporate hiring (16PF, Cleaver, Terman-Merrill, or similar) and ASUR follows that norm for management and sensitive operations roles.

  8. 8
    Background checks include criminal record (carta de no antecedentes penales in M

    Background checks include criminal record (carta de no antecedentes penales in Mexico, certificado judicial in Colombia, federal/local in PR), credit history for finance roles, and aviation-specific clearances (CENAPRA or airport-issued security badge prerequisites) for airside positions.

  9. 9
    Offers come with the standard Mexican benefits stack: IMSS, Infonavit, aguinaldo

    Offers come with the standard Mexican benefits stack: IMSS, Infonavit, aguinaldo (Christmas bonus), vacation premium, savings fund (fondo de ahorro), and often vales de despensa (food vouchers). Colombian and Puerto Rican offers follow local statutory frameworks.

  10. 10
    Onboarding is in-person at the assigned airport

    Onboarding is in-person at the assigned airport. Expect mandatory safety, security (AVSEC), and emergency response training in the first weeks, regardless of function.

Resume Tips for ASUR Mexico

recommended

Lead with your strongest airport, aviation, infrastructure, tourism, or regulate

Lead with your strongest airport, aviation, infrastructure, tourism, or regulated-industry experience. If you are coming from outside aviation, lead with the transferable domain (large-scale operations, retail concessions, civil engineering, regulated finance, hospitality at scale) and explicitly bridge it to airports.

recommended

Use the Mexican CV convention: photo optional but common, full name, contact det

Use the Mexican CV convention: photo optional but common, full name, contact details, summary in 4-6 lines, then experience reverse-chronological with measurable outcomes. For Colombia roles, follow the local hoja de vida format.

recommended

Quantify with airport-relevant metrics: passengers handled, on-time performance,

Quantify with airport-relevant metrics: passengers handled, on-time performance, IROPs recovered, concession revenue per passenger, capex delivered on time and on budget, audit findings closed, hurricane recovery times.

recommended

Spell out Spanish acronyms on first use - AFAC, SCT (now SICT), IMSS, ASA, DGAC,

Spell out Spanish acronyms on first use - AFAC, SCT (now SICT), IMSS, ASA, DGAC, Aerocivil for Colombia - and add the English gloss if relevant for international reviewers.

recommended

Call out language proficiency precisely: Spanish native, English (CEFR level), a

Call out language proficiency precisely: Spanish native, English (CEFR level), and any Maya, Portuguese, French (Caribbean tourism), or Patois exposure for SJU. International airline-facing teams genuinely need working English.

recommended

List relevant certifications: ICAO courses, IATA AVSEC, IATA ground operations,

List relevant certifications: ICAO courses, IATA AVSEC, IATA ground operations, PMP, Six Sigma, ISO 9001/14001/45001, Mexican-specific NOMs, or Colombian RAC and PR FAA Part 139 compliance experience.

recommended

Include cedula profesional numbers for engineering, accounting, law, and other r

Include cedula profesional numbers for engineering, accounting, law, and other regulated professions in Mexico. Colombian tarjeta profesional and Puerto Rican licensure should be similarly disclosed.

recommended

Keep tooling specific: SAP modules used (FI, CO, MM, PM are common in airport fi

Keep tooling specific: SAP modules used (FI, CO, MM, PM are common in airport finance and maintenance), Power BI, ArcGIS for terminal planning, AODB (Airport Operational Database) systems, RMS for retail concessions, parking yield platforms.

recommended

If you have Caribbean tourism, cruise port (Cozumel), border operations (Tapachu

If you have Caribbean tourism, cruise port (Cozumel), border operations (Tapachula/Guatemala), or US-Mexico tourism corridor experience, surface it - those are live commercial themes for ASUR.

recommended

Two pages is the norm

Two pages is the norm. Three is acceptable for senior or technical profiles. Avoid fluff; Mexican corporate reviewers prefer dense, evidence-led CVs.

ATS System: Generic Careers Portal (talento.asur.com.mx)

ASUR runs an in-house Mexican careers portal at talento.asur.com.mx (and posts roles at asur.com.mx/empleos) rather than a brand-name SaaS ATS like Workday or SuccessFactors. It accepts standard CV uploads, asks structured profile questions, and routes applications to airport-specific HR teams. Treat it like any keyword-driven ATS: parsing is mechanical, so clean formatting and keyword alignment matter more than visual design.

  • Submit a clean .docx or .pdf with selectable text. Avoid scanned images, multi-column layouts, and text inside graphics - these break parsing.
  • Mirror the job posting's Spanish-language keywords (operaciones aeroportuarias, AVSEC, concesiones comerciales, mantenimiento de pista, atencion al pasajero) verbatim in your CV.
  • Fill every profile field, even optional ones. Empty fields can downrank candidates in internal sorting.
  • Apply to the specific airport and role, not a generic 'ASUR' profile. Postings are managed locally and a targeted application is reviewed faster.
  • Use a Mexican phone number format (+52 followed by area code), Colombian (+57) for Airplan roles, or US format for Aerostar/SJU. Save your CV as Nombre_Apellido_Puesto.pdf for HR clarity.
  • If reapplying, update your profile rather than creating a duplicate account - duplicates often get suppressed.

Interview Culture

ASUR interviews follow Mexican corporate norms with an aviation operations overlay.

Expect formality - usted in Spanish, business attire in person, punctuality treated as a hard requirement. The first round is typically an HR screen focused on motivation, availability, salary expectations in MXN (COP for Colombia, USD for SJU) gross monthly, and your understanding of what ASUR actually does (concessionaire of 16 airports across three countries, not an airline, not a government agency). Knowing the difference between ASUR, GAP, OMA, AICM, and the new AIFA is a low bar but candidates who confuse them lose credibility immediately. Technical and functional rounds are run by the hiring manager and often a peer or cross-functional partner. For operations roles prepare for scenario walkthroughs: how would you handle a runway closure at CUN during peak Christmas/Easter traffic, a hurricane evacuation in the Yucatan or Caribbean, a security incident at MDE or CTG, a TSA finding at SJU, an AFAC or Aerocivil audit. For commercial roles expect questions on concession negotiation, retail tenant mix, and parking yield management - especially material at Cancun. For finance expect IFRS, MFRS (Mexican Financial Reporting Standards), TUA tariff modeling, and concession accounting across multiple jurisdictions. Psychometric testing is standard for management and security-sensitive roles. Background checks - criminal record letter, credit checks for finance positions, and aviation security clearance for airside access - are non-negotiable. Final interviews for senior roles often include a panel with the airport director or a corporate VP from Mexico City HQ. CEO Adolfo Castro's long tenure since 2009 means leadership culture is settled and consistent; expect interviewers to value continuity, deliberate decision-making, and operational discipline over disruption rhetoric. Decisions can take 4-8 weeks; aviation hiring is deliberate and reference-driven. Be candid about relocation, shift work willingness (airports run 24/7), and bilingual capacity. Overpromising on any of those will surface during onboarding and damage the relationship.

What ASUR Mexico Looks For

  • Domain credibility in airports, aviation, regulated infrastructure, large-scale operations, or relevant adjacent sectors (logistics, hospitality at scale, civil engineering, regulated utilities, cruise/tourism).
  • Operational discipline: ability to follow procedures, document incidents, work safely in airside environments, and respect AVSEC, AFAC, Aerocivil, or FAA Part 139 requirements without shortcuts.
  • Bilingual Spanish and English at a working level for most corporate, commercial, and international roles - and bilingual Spanish/English fluency for SJU positions where federal US oversight applies.
  • Comfort with a Mexico City-based corporate culture with airport-level operational decentralization. Hierarchy matters; relationships matter; tenure is respected (Castro since 2009 sets the tone).
  • Commercial instincts for non-aeronautical revenue: retail, F&B, parking, advertising, real estate development around airports - especially at Cancun, where margin growth lives.
  • Resilience to cyclicality: tourism is sensitive to US visitor sentiment, peso volatility, hurricane seasons, Quintana Roo security perception, and now the new Tulum International Airport competition. Candidates who acknowledge this realistically score higher than those who do not.
  • Cross-functional collaboration with airlines (Aeromexico, Volaris, VivaAerobus, US majors American/United/Delta/JetBlue/Spirit/Allegiant/Sun Country/Southwest, Air Canada, WestJet, European carriers Lufthansa/Air France/BA/Iberia at CUN, Avianca/LATAM at CTG/MDE/SJU), ground handlers, customs (SAT/Aduanas), immigration (INM, Migracion Colombia, US CBP at SJU), and security agencies.
  • Integrity and clean background checks. Airport access requires it and there is no flexibility.
  • Willingness to be physically present at the assigned airport. Remote-first roles are rare; hybrid is possible for some HQ functions.
  • Long-term horizon. Concessions run on multi-decade timelines and capex projects on multi-year ones. Candidates chasing 12-month exits are not the target hire.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does ASUR stand for and what does the company do?
ASUR is Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S.A.B. de C.V. - a Mexican airport operator headquartered in Mexico City. It holds federal concessions to operate 16 airports: 9 in southeastern Mexico (anchored by Cancun), 6 in Colombia (through its Airplan subsidiary), and 1 in Puerto Rico (San Juan, via the Aerostar Airport Holdings consortium). It is publicly listed on the Mexican Stock Exchange (BMV: ASURB) and the New York Stock Exchange as an ADR (NYSE: ASR).
How many airports does ASUR operate and where?
16 airports total. Mexico (9): Cancun (CUN), Merida (MID), Cozumel (CZM), Veracruz (VER), Oaxaca (OAX), Huatulco (HUX), Villahermosa (VSA), Minatitlan (MTT), and Tapachula (TAP). Colombia (6, via Airplan): Medellin Jose Maria Cordova (MDE), Cartagena Rafael Nunez (CTG), Cucuta, Quibdo, Corozal, and Monteria. Puerto Rico (1): San Juan Luis Munoz Marin International (SJU), via Aerostar Airport Holdings, a 50/50 consortium with Highstar Capital.
Where is ASUR headquartered and where do most jobs sit?
Corporate headquarters is in Mexico City. Corporate functions (finance, IT, legal, HR, strategy, commercial) cluster there. Operational, commercial, and engineering roles are distributed across the 16 airports - with the largest concentration at Cancun, the flagship airport. Colombia operations are coordinated through Airplan (Bogota/Medellin), and San Juan operations through Aerostar at SJU.
What ATS or careers system does ASUR use?
ASUR runs an in-house careers portal at talento.asur.com.mx (and posts roles via asur.com.mx/empleos) rather than a brand-name third-party ATS like Workday or SuccessFactors. Treat it as a standard keyword-driven system: clean formatting, Spanish keyword alignment with the posting, and complete profile fields all matter.
Do I need to speak Spanish to work at ASUR?
For Mexican airport roles and HQ positions, working Spanish is effectively required. English is needed for most corporate, commercial, and international airline-facing roles, especially at Cancun where European and US traffic is heavy. For Colombia (Airplan) roles Spanish is the working language. For San Juan (Aerostar/SJU) bilingual Spanish/English fluency is expected because federal US oversight (FAA, TSA, CBP) operates in English and local culture is bilingual.
How does ASUR compare to GAP and OMA?
All three are publicly-listed Mexican airport groups created from the 1998 federal privatization. ASUR runs Cancun, the Yucatan and southeastern Mexico, plus Colombia and Puerto Rico. GAP (Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico, NYSE: PAC) runs Pacific Mexico (Guadalajara, Tijuana, Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos and others) plus Jamaica. OMA (Grupo Aeroportuario Centro Norte, NASDAQ: OMAB) runs Monterrey and 12 other northern Mexican airports. They are peers and competitors for capital, talent, and best-in-class operations - not for the same airports. AICM (Mexico City) and AIFA (Felipe Angeles, opened 2022) are state-operated and outside this private group structure.
How important is Cancun to ASUR's business?
Very. Cancun (CUN) handles roughly 30 million passengers annually and is the largest airport in Mexico by volume, dominating Caribbean tourism and accounting for the majority of ASUR's Mexican aeronautical and non-aeronautical revenue. Most senior commercial, operational, and capex investment decisions are influenced by what is happening at CUN. Candidates targeting Cancun should expect both significant opportunity and significant scrutiny.
How does the new Tulum International Airport affect ASUR?
Tulum International Airport (TQO) opened in late 2023 as a state-operated airport built and managed by the Mexican military (SEDENA). It competes with Cancun for Mayan Riviera traffic - particularly leisure travelers headed to Tulum, Akumal, and the southern Riviera Maya corridor. Early data suggests TQO is taking some incremental traffic but Cancun's scale, airline relationships, and route network give it strong defensive moat. Candidates joining ASUR should expect this competitive dynamic to come up in interviews and to be a real strategic theme over the next several years.
Is ASUR unionized?
Yes, in line with Mexican labor law. Many operational roles fall under unions such as the Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores de Servicios Aeroportuarios (SNTSA) and airport-specific maintenance and ground handling unions. Corporate, management, and confidential roles are typically non-union (personal de confianza). Colombian operations follow Colombian labor frameworks (USTAC and other airport unions) and Puerto Rico operations follow PR/US labor law with moderate union presence.
How cyclical is the business and what are the main risks?
Very cyclical. Passenger traffic depends on US tourism flows (especially for Cancun and Cozumel), Mexican economic conditions, peso/dollar exchange rates, hurricane seasons in the Caribbean and Gulf, security perception of Quintana Roo and the broader Mexican southeast, and the health of Mexican carriers. Specific to ASUR: the new Tulum International Airport is a real competitive risk for Mayan Riviera flows; Colombia adds Andean political and currency risk; Puerto Rico adds US federal regulatory exposure. Tariff regulation by AFAC also caps pricing power on the aeronautical side. Anyone joining ASUR should understand these realities; pretending otherwise is a tell that you have not done your homework.
What is the deal with Colombia (Airplan) and Puerto Rico (Aerostar)?
Colombia: ASUR holds operations through Airplan, covering 6 airports - Medellin Jose Maria Cordova (MDE) and Cartagena Rafael Nunez (CTG) are the largest, with Cucuta, Quibdo, Corozal, and Monteria as smaller regional fields. Combined ~10 million passengers per year. Regulator is Aerocivil. Puerto Rico: ASUR participates in Aerostar Airport Holdings (50/50 with Highstar Capital), which holds the long-term lease and operating concession for San Juan Luis Munoz Marin International (SJU). Federal regulators FAA and TSA apply, plus US CBP for international arrivals. Both add cross-border operational, regulatory, and labor complexity that internal candidates with multi-jurisdiction experience can leverage.
Does ASUR offer remote or hybrid work?
Most roles are on-site at a specific airport or at the Mexico City HQ. Some corporate functions (IT, parts of finance, strategy, communications) operate hybrid. Operational, security, engineering, and commercial roles tied to terminals are inherently in-person. Be realistic about this when applying.
What benefits does ASUR offer?
Standard Mexican benefits stack: IMSS social security, Infonavit housing, aguinaldo (Christmas bonus, minimum 15 days), vacation premium, savings fund (fondo de ahorro) typically matched up to legal limits, vales de despensa (food vouchers), and major medical insurance for management roles. Specifics vary by airport, role level, and union vs confianza status. Colombia roles (Airplan) follow Colombian statutory benefits including cesantias, prima, and EPS health coverage. Puerto Rico roles (Aerostar) follow PR/US statutory benefits and typical US-style health/retirement plans.
Why has Adolfo Castro stayed CEO since 2009 and what does it mean for the culture?
Adolfo Castro Rivas has led ASUR since 2009, an unusually long tenure for a publicly-traded Mexican corporate CEO. It reflects a stable controlling shareholder structure, consistent operational performance through cycles (including COVID), and disciplined capital allocation. For candidates this means leadership culture is settled and continuity-oriented: deliberate decision-making, respect for tenure, conservative balance sheet management, and limited tolerance for disruption rhetoric. Candidates who pitch radical change without acknowledging the existing playbook tend to underperform in interviews.

Open Positions

ASUR Mexico currently has 1 open positions.

Check Your Resume Before Applying → View 1 open positions at ASUR Mexico

Sources

  1. Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste - Official Investor Relations —
  2. ASUR Careers Portal (Talento ASUR) —
  3. ASR - NYSE listing (Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste ADR) —
  4. ASURB - Bolsa Mexicana de Valores —
  5. Cancun International Airport (CUN) - operated by ASUR —
  6. Agencia Federal de Aviacion Civil (AFAC) - Mexican regulator —
  7. Airplan - ASUR Colombia subsidiary —
  8. Aerostar Airport Holdings - San Juan SJU operator —
  9. Tulum International Airport (TQO) - state-operated competitor —
  10. Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico (GAP) - peer —
  11. Grupo Aeroportuario Centro Norte (OMA) - peer —
  12. Aerocivil - Colombia civil aviation regulator —
  13. FAA Part 139 - Airport Certification (applies to SJU) —