Canada updated its Mexico travel advisory due to flight delays and cancellations
Canadians were warned that their travel plans may be impacted.
A quaint, sunny street in Mexico.
If you're travelling from Canada to Mexico in the near future, listen up! The Government of Canada has updated its Mexico travel advisory, warning travellers that airport chaos could lead to delayed or cancelled flights.
On Friday, May 23, the Canadian government announced that its travel advice for Mexico had been updated with new information about demonstrations outside the country's biggest airport — Mexico City International Airport (also known as Benito Juárez International Airport).
According to the advisory, which was last updated on Friday, demonstrations near the airport were creating disruptions in terminals 1 and 2, causing flights to be both delayed and cancelled.
The advisory urges anyone with a flight from or to Mexico City to:
- contact your airline or tour operator to find out if the situation will disrupt your travel plan
- allow extra time to reach the airport
- monitor local news to stay informed on the evolving situation
- follow the instructions of local authorities
As of Monday, May 26, Canada's travel advisory for Mexico remained unchanged.
However, a report from The New York Times suggests that while a teachers' union protest briefly caused chaos by halting all flights at the airport on Friday, security forces quickly took hold of the situation and restored order.
Per the NYT report, the demonstrations — which were related to higher wages — created carnage as hundreds of union members marched to the airport's entrances and delayed traffic flows surrounding the airport.
A number of international flights out of Mexico City were impacted, and thousands of passengers faced delayed or cancelled flights. Reports suggest that airlines were offering travellers the opportunity to reschedule their flights for free.
As of Monday morning, flight tracking website FlightStats showed that the delay status at Mexico City International Airport was "very low," meaning that the majority of flights are now departing and arriving on schedule.
While it appears the situation at the airport is back to normal, Canadians are still advised to take precautions when travelling to the country.
All Canadians travelling to Mexico are urged to "exercise a high degree of caution due to high levels of criminal activity and kidnapping."
Outside of the airport drama, the Government of Canada is flagging safety concerns in several parts of Mexico — especially Culiacán, Mazatlán and their surrounding areas — where violent clashes between rival armed groups have been reported. Roads have been blocked, and people are being urged to stay put, avoid unnecessary travel, and keep an eye on local news.
Beyond that, travellers should be prepared for the risk of both petty and organized crime across the country. While tourist hotspots are generally safer, incidents like theft and gang-related violence can still happen, even in places like hotels, restaurants and nightclubs.
The government's advice is to stick to well-known tourist areas, avoid travelling at night, keep your valuables out of sight, and stay aware — especially if you're crossing land borders, which are currently considered higher risk.
You can find Canada's full travel advisory for Mexico here.
Love this? Check out our Narcity noticeboard for details on jobs, benefits, travel info and more!