Holiday Peak in Los Cabos: Thanksgiving to New Year's by Private Jet
Pegasus Flight Support · Updated September 20, 2026 · 6 min read
Holiday Peak Season · Nov 25, 2026 – Jan 3, 2027 · Los Cabos
Key Points
- The holiday peak runs from Thanksgiving week through the first days of January, with the tightest days between Christmas and New Year's. Early December has noticeably less pressure on parking and services.
- Parking is the constraint. Expect to drop off passengers and reposition the aircraft on the busiest days.
- If MMSL reaches capacity, aircraft generally reposition to MMSD, which normally has enough room. La Paz (MMLP) is a further last-resort option.
- Los Cabos International (MMSD) operates 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM local with limited nighttime operations, so a late arrival can become a next-day arrival.
- Crew hotel rooms and ground transportation sell out before aircraft parking does.
- Plan the return to the United States as carefully as the arrival, including where you will clear customs.
The busiest weeks of the year
Peak season in Los Cabos runs roughly November through April, and within it nothing compares to the holidays. Demand builds from Thanksgiving, which falls on November 26 in 2026, then climbs to its highest point in the week between Christmas and New Year's Day. Many aircraft arrive within the same few days and leave within the same few days.
Early December is the useful gap. Pressure on parking and services is noticeably lighter then than it is over Christmas and New Year's, so a trip that can move a couple of weeks earlier will find more room on the ramp and easier crew and ground arrangements.
Parking is the constraint
Runways are not the problem in Los Cabos during the holidays. Ramp space is. On the busiest days, plan on a drop-and-go: passengers and bags off, and the aircraft repositions for the stay, then returns for the pickup. Settle this when you book the trip, because it changes crew planning, fuel, and cost.
Know the order before you need it. Cabo San Lucas International (MMSL) is the field that fills first. When it reaches parking capacity, aircraft generally reposition to Los Cabos International (MMSD), which normally has sufficient capacity and is the preferred alternative. La Paz (MMLP) is a further option and a last resort rather than a first move.
Watch the clock at MMSD
Los Cabos International operates from 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM local time, and nighttime operations are limited. A departure delay in the United States on a winter afternoon can push an arrival past closing. Schedule arrivals with margin, and know your alternate before you depart. Los Cabos is on UTC-7 year-round with no daylight saving time.
Cabo San Lucas International (MMSL) is closer to Cabo San Lucas itself, with a 6,998 ft runway. Confirm its operating hours and customs availability before filing, particularly on the holidays themselves.
Crew and ground arrangements
Crew hotel rooms in Los Cabos at Christmas are scarce and expensive, and they sell out before aircraft parking does. Ground transportation and catering also need more notice than usual. If the aircraft is repositioning, the crew's accommodation is at the repositioning airport, which is often easier.
The return to the United States
Departures bunch up on the weekend after New Year's Day. Request your departure time early. File your eAPIS for the return, and confirm where you will clear US customs: aircraft returning to the United States from Mexico must clear at a designated southern border airport unless they hold an applicable Border Overflight Exemption (BOE). Arrange customs at your arrival airport in advance, since holiday staffing can limit hours.
Mexico's first-landing and last-departure requirement also applies, and it is correct as commonly stated: your first landing in Mexico and your last departure from it must be at an international airport of entry. Plan the routing around that, not the other way round.
Permits and documents
Charter operators need a valid AFAC Blanket Permit with the aircraft listed on it. Private flights enter on a Single Entry Authorization, valid for 180 days, which can cover both a Thanksgiving trip and a Christmas trip if the crew declared on it stays the same. Both need Mexican liability insurance that matches the aircraft registration exactly.
Other resort airports
The same pressures apply at Mexico's other winter destinations, including Puerto Vallarta and Cancún: early parking requests, realistic arrival times, and crew rooms booked well ahead.
How Pegasus helps
Pegasus Flight Support coordinates parking, repositioning, ground handling, fuel, customs and immigration, catering, and crew arrangements across Los Cabos and the rest of Mexico. For holiday trips, contact us as soon as dates are known.
FAQ
When is peak season for private jets in Los Cabos?
Peak season runs roughly November through April. The busiest period is from Thanksgiving through the first days of January, with the tightest days between Christmas and New Year's Day.
Can I park my jet in Los Cabos over Christmas?
Parking is limited during the holidays. On the busiest days operators should expect to drop off passengers and reposition the aircraft, then return for the pickup. If Cabo San Lucas International (MMSL) reaches capacity, aircraft generally reposition to Los Cabos International (MMSD), which normally has sufficient capacity. La Paz (MMLP) is a further last-resort option. Request parking as early as possible.
Where do I clear US customs returning from Los Cabos?
Aircraft returning to the United States from Mexico must clear at a designated southern border airport unless they hold an applicable Border Overflight Exemption (BOE). Arrange customs at your arrival airport in advance, since holiday staffing can limit hours.
What are the operating hours at Los Cabos International Airport?
Los Cabos International (MMSD) operates from 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM local time, and nighttime operations are limited.
Last reviewed September 2026. Mexican aviation regulations change frequently. Confirm current requirements with Pegasus before every trip.