Last Updated
Security levels at the Cancun Airport have come under scrutiny recently following a recent vehicle fire at the airport. The incident was a transportation van that caught fire in the parking lot of Cancun Airport’s Terminal 4.
Probing the issues are the Members of the Mexican Association of Tourist Carriers, as they held a press conference to point out the Cancun Airport’s lack of security measures a few days after the incident took place.
Members Of The Tourist Carriers Association Point Out That Airport Lacks Basic Security Measures
The members who held the press conference this week pointed out a few basic security measures that the Cancun Airport lacks, including fire extinguishers in the appropriate places. Even where the vehicle caught fire in the parking lot, there weren’t any extinguishers around to help put out the fire.
“You don’t have fire extinguishers near the terminals. In one of the videos, it is seen that the National Guard does not have a fire extinguisher and the airport firefighters entered when the truck was completely consumed and showed damage. The security protocols, in this case, were not complied with,” said Roberto Rubio, representative of the Mexican Association of Tourist Carriers.
In his statement, he also pointed out that medical teams that were called to the scene arrived late and did not assist the driver of the vehicle.
Top 5 Travel Insurance Plans For 2023 Starting At $10 Per Week
Easily Earn Points For Free Travel
Members Call For Official Inspection And Security Check Of Cancun International
The members made the argument that this lack of basic security affects the health and safety of tourists and workers at the Cancun Airport, putting them all at risk.
To deal with this lack of security issue, the members requested that the local Secretariat of Infrastructure, Communications, and Transportation perform an official inspection to check the security standards at the Cancun International Airport.
Rubio also called out the intervention of the local State Attorney General during the incident, which he said wasn’t the proper protocol to deal with such an issue. Following the vehicle fire, the driver was held up by members of the State Attorney’s General’s Office of Quintana Roo.
But Rubio made the point that such things should be dealt with at the federal level because it was, in fact, a federal zone, and the National Guard should have been called instead.
“The procedure for this type of accident that should have been followed, the (Cancun International) Airport should have made its complaint to the company, not to the operator, so that the authorities call the company and reach a payment agreement,” he explained, for later add that this payment must be made based on the results of expert reports,” Rubio said.
Airport Operators Make Claims To Be Victims Of Extortion
Leopold Reyes, an official at Kool Travel, made claims of extortion at the press conference. His company’s vehicle was the one that caught fire, and he stated that he was the subject of an alleged extortion attempt following the incident this week. The attempt was allegedly made by a legal representative of the Cancun International Airport, Dulce María Ramírez Beltrán, so that he could repair the damage that was caused by the vehicle fire.
Kool Travel is a transportation operator at the Cancun Airport, taking travelers to and from the airport for the past five years.
“I received a call hours after the fire, with disrespect, trying to extort 700,000 (Mexican) pesos to pay for the damages. But this takes a process. Today I received another call, lowering the amount to 300,000 pesos,” Reyes claimed.
Reyes also made the claim that the numbers he was allegedly given are not supported by any official advice and ordered for an official investigation into how much he is owed to repair the unit.
Plan Your Next Cancun Vacation:
Traveler Alert: Don’t Forget Travel Insurance For Your Next Trip!
Choose From Thousands of Cancun and Riviera Maya Hotels, Resorts and Hostels with Free Cancellation On Most Properties
↓ Join the community ↓
The Cancun Sun Community FB group has all the latest travel news, conversations and tourism Q&A’s for the Mexican Caribbean
Subscribe to our Latest Posts
Enter your email address to subscribe to The Cancun Sun’s latest breaking news affecting travelers, straight to your inbox.