Cancun Airport Chaos: Mayor Announces Update After Hundreds Of Travelers End Up Walking To Airport

Last Updated 2 years ago

Have you seen the TikTok and Twitter videos yet? Thousands of passengers heading to Cancun International airport on Wednesday were met with chaos as traffic came to a screeching halt. Desperate travelers began ditching their taxis and running miles to the airport with luggage in tow in an attempt to make it to their flights on time.

As the situation unfolded, local authorities scrambled to come up with a solution. The Mayor recently gave an update, assuring passengers the problem is being dealt with.

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♬ original sound – Kasia

New Transport Routes Created After Cancun Travelers Forced To Walk To Airport Amid Traffic Chaos

As a result of this week’s travel chaos to the airport, the Benito Juárez major, Ana Patricia Peralta de la Peña, announced around midnight on Thursday that there will be new transport routes created from the city to the airport to help with the flow of passengers during high season and the ongoing construction projects which are affecting traffic flow to the airport, causing passengers to take their chances on foot.

@texiejune it took us 4 hours to go 3 miles 🙃🙃 #cancunmexico #cancun #cancunairport ♬ Funny Song – Cavendish Music

Peralta explained that authorities from the city, state, and federal levels had gathered to come up with a solution. After discussion, it was announced that Cancun Transit Officers would be made available to the National Guard and State Police in order to provide more staffing support to reduce delays for people on their way to the airport. Many travelers likely feel that it is too little too late, as numerous passengers missed their flights due to extreme traffic delays.

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As a result of the discussion, around 6:30 a.m. on Thursday, six important areas of access for passengers heading to the airport were staffed with a total of 62 officers to help mitigate any major traffic issues on the road to Cancun International Airport. 

Can The Solution Be Trusted?

This isn’t the first time Cancun has made headlines for airport traffic. In August, a similar story unfolded as tourists abandoned their airport transfers to continue their journey on foot. Plans were made and implemented, and traffic slowly returned to a normal (but still busy) flow. As construction continues along the highway, it is likely this will not be the last time travelers are seen running down the road in hopes of catching their next flight.

The common link between these occurrences is an extremely busy tourist season. As Cancun continues to break tourism records, travelers should be aware that this may become a more common occurrence.

What Should Cancun Travelers Do?

Travelers heading into or out of Cancun airport can expect to be affected by the traffic situation. Clearly, if heading to the airport to leave Cancun, it is advisable to leave much, much earlier than normal. Some users on TikTok have reported that some transfer companies suggest travelers head to the airport 5-7 hours early.

Total breakdown. Never seen anything like this. New way of getting to the airport in Cancun. #Cancun #cancunairport #QuintanaRoo
But hats off to the porters who were running to the highways with carts to help passengers make their flight. pic.twitter.com/UUEE9wY4a2

— Rima Hyder (ریما) (@HrhRima) December 22, 2022

On the other side of things, travelers flying into Cancun should pack their patience, as they will likely be left waiting for their transfer service to show up. Typically, after exiting the airport, travelers are met with transfer operators holding up signs or hotel names waiting to take them to their destination. As traffic continues to be an issue, travelers may be the ones doing the waiting.

While travelers will typically not be the ones determining which route is taken to the airport, it may be advisable to let your transfer service driver know that there are several alternative routes being suggested by local authorities.

A Number Of Routes Reopened To Help Accommodate Heavy Flow Of Traffic

One of the six routes that were opened was on Colosio Boulevard on the way to Playa del Carmen, which had been closed a few days prior to the incident. They also reopened a route that had been closed from the Cancun Airport to the Hotel Zone. 

@CancunAirport call in the national guard! This is a disaster. Tourism is going to tank! pic.twitter.com/kUbLhK0dah

— Holly Byers (@HollyEByers) December 21, 2022

Operations To Streamline Traffic Will Continue Throughout Cancun’s Busy Winter Vacation Season

In his statements on Thursday, Segovia Góngora also clarified that the new operations to improve the traffic for travelers heading to the airport will continue throughout the busy holiday travel period.

To help travelers avoid any major traffic issues en route to or from the airport, he also advised people to use alternative routes when possible in order to reduce congestion on Colosio Boulevard, which is the main highway in Cancun and the most used road for travelers to get into downtown Cancun and the Hotel Zone. Other roads to use include López Portillo Avenue and Huayacán Avenue.

Ironic that I can’t get to snowed in #yvr because the construction/planning at #Cancun airport is so poor we have been stuck in an airport transfer taxi for 2.5 hours. People are giving up and just walking multiple Km’s with their luggage as it’s faster. pic.twitter.com/S7ledYEImC

— Robert Johnston (@tangram_design) December 21, 2022

In Summary

If you are in Cancun or will be visiting soon, it would be wise to allot additional time to get to your hotel and even more time to get back to the airport. While traffic has died down since Wednesday’s events, the problem remains, and it could very likely happen again.

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