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U.S. Passengers And Carriers Dominate The Cancun Skies At Busy Summer Begins
Nine United States Airlines are now operating in the Cancun International Airport, dominating the daily operations and ferrying the highest volume of passengers. American citizens also make up the largest demographic of visitors to the area.
According to recent statistics, over eight hundred flights a week are operated between the United States and Cancun transporting thousands of sun-seeking visitors. The most popular airports servicing Cancun are currently in Texas, where Dallas Fort-Worth and Houston send 94 and 66 flights a week, respectively. Major airports like Chicago O’Hare and Atlanta follow the Texas giants.
The American carriers currently operating are American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, JetBlue, Delta Air Lines, Frontier, Spirit, Sun Country, United Airlines, and Southwest Airlines
United Airlines currently leads the American market in capacity, by sending 165 flights a week to Cancun. American Airlines is on its tail, however, and also sends 164 flights a week to the Mexican Caribbean.
Interestingly, Mexican carriers have been unable to capitalize on the success of the country’s most popular region. Although plenty of domestic routes are directed towards Cancun, there are virtually no Mexican airlines servicing even the closest American states.
Brand exposure has always been a major barrier for airlines like Aeromexico and Viva air, but the most significant hurdle comes in the form of Mexico being downgraded to a Category 2 by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The FAA determines the category of a country’s aviation system based on safety protocols, management, and multiple other factors. Mexico’s listing as a category 2 means its airlines cannot currently add new routes to the United States.
The popularity of the Mexican Caribbean is unlikely to slow anytime soon. The entire airline industry is currently operating in a state of constant chaos. Staff shortages stemming from Covid mismanagement have left almost every airline scrambling to fill vacant spots. With manpower so depleted but demand for flights soaring, airlines are being forced to strategically cut routes to ease the problems.
Cancun flights are not feeling the cuts. In fact, many airlines are adding more routes to Cancun to capitalize on its monumental growth into one of the most sought-after destinations on the planet.
This summer was already anticipated to be one of the busiest on record, but the recent announcement that American citizens will no longer need to test before returning is likely to spark a sizable burst in travel activity across the country, Recent statistics suggested that more than half of those who had no plans to travel in 2022, did so at least partly because of the testing requirement.
Now, with the restriction gone, Americans can enjoy their vacation in Quintana Roo safe in the knowledge that they no longer run the risk of being stranded for longer than their trip. Hotels will most likely do away with many of the systems previously in place.
With that said, the region is now seeing a sharp rise in Covid cases. The CDC has registered enough of an increase to raise its current travel advisories on Mexico, classifying it as “high risk”. It should be noted that this does not impact any travel plans for visitors. The CDC advisories are no more than evidence-based suggestions to allow travelers to make informed decisions about their trips.
Travelers should take added care when traveling to Quintana Roo in the near future. Despite the restrictions being dropped, many businesses are reinstating their own restrictions like masks, sanitation points, and social distancing. Respecting these developments is key to helping avoid another fast spread like the wave seen in January. The Omicron variant caused chaos in the Mexican Caribbean, decimating businesses’ operational capacity and closing many establishments.
Visitors should keep on top of any developments that may occur before their trip. Contacting the hotel and any other service provider is a good way to do this.
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