MEXICO CITY — The Cancun International Airport has inaugurated a new terminal projected to make it Mexico’s second busiest, with an estimated 31 million passengers per year.

A government statement says the 18-gate Terminal 4 increases annual capacity by about 9 million passengers and was built for a little over 3.4 billion pesos.

The building covers more than 67,000 square meters (700,000 square feet) and expands the airport’s footprint by about 37 per cent.

President Enrique Pena Nieto presided over Tuesday’s inaugural ceremony at the airport for the Caribbean beach resort city. According to government figures, Cancun is the country’s No. 1 destination for international tourists and No. 2 for domestic travellers.

Mexico City’s Benito Juarez is the country’s most-travelled airport, with 41.7 million passengers last year.