Background on the Situation
The Quintana Roo Tourism Secretariat reports that, as of now, no tourists have requested assistance, but the Guest Assist program remains active. This program ensures that any tourist can seek support from authorities if they need to extend their stay due to force majeure circumstances.
Impact on Airlines and Destinations
Over the past four days, Cancun International Airport has experienced 117 flight cancellations due to severe weather conditions in the United States and Canada.
- Tuesday’s Cancellations: Frontier, Spirit, and United Airlines each had one flight canceled, while Air Canada had two, and American Airlines had 11. This resulted in a total of 16 arrival operations canceled.
- Monday’s Cancellations: There were 23 cancellations from and to cities like Baltimore, Boston, Charlotte, Dallas, Lansing, Montreal, New York, Newark, Raleigh Durham, and Toronto.
- Weekend Cancellations: A total of 58 flights were canceled. The cities most affected initially included Baltimore, New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire in the US, and Toronto, Quebec, and Calgary from Canada.
Affected cities on Tuesday include Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Halifax, Miami, Montreal, Newark, Philadelphia, and San Francisco.
Hotel Industry Response
Roberto Cintrón, former president of the Cancun Hotels Association (Cancún, Puerto Morelos, and Isla Mujeres), stated that hotels have been receiving passengers whose flights were canceled or delayed. He emphasized that many hotels are flexible with their policies and accept date changes, though the specifics may vary depending on the hotel.
“We have always been known for supporting our clients and tour operators,” Cintrón added.
Key Questions and Answers
- What is the total number of flight cancellations? There have been 117 flight cancellations at Cancun International Airport due to storms in the US and Canada.
- Which airlines have been most affected? Airlines such as Frontier, Spirit, United Airlines, Air Canada, and American Airlines have experienced flight cancellations.
- What cities have been most affected by the storms? Cities like Baltimore, New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire in the US, and Toronto, Quebec, and Calgary from Canada have been significantly impacted.
- What support is available for tourists? The Quintana Roo Tourism Secretariat’s Guest Assist program offers support to tourists who may need to extend their stay due to flight cancellations or delays caused by force majeure.
- How are hotels responding to the situation? Many hotels in Cancun have flexible policies and are willing to accommodate passengers whose flights have been canceled or delayed.
