Some Canadian tourists in the Mexican state of Sinaloa finally began their delayed journey home Saturday after a wave of violence erupted in the region, closing airports and forcing shelter-in-place advisories.
Two airports in northwestern Mexico reopened, with international flights scheduled Saturday from Mazatlan to cities in western Canada, including Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg and Vancouver.
Travelers checking out of the area’s beachfront hotels described a chaotic scene of full elevators and busy lobbies as guests waited for airport transfers and flights home.
Some Canadian tourists in the area were barricaded in their hotels for several days after the arrest of a major suspected drug cartel leader sparked violence in the region.
The Canadian government issued a shelter-in-place advisory on Thursday, saying the widespread violence included burning cars, exchanges of fire and threats to essential infrastructure, including airports.
The Canadian government continues to recommend avoiding non-essential travel to the state of Sinaloa, except within the city of Mazatlán.
Mixed messages emerged from people on the ground in the region on Saturday, creating some uncertainty about the current state of affairs.
Some described the area as “returning to normal”, while others suggested the atmosphere of unrest continued.
Dominique Carol Marage, a Canadian from Vancouver who lives in Mazatlan about six months of the year, said all commercial and government services are back up and running, with roads reopened and transit restored.
Others suggested on social media that while conditions in the city had largely returned to normal, a significant armed presence continued in other parts of the state.
And while Canadian airlines resumed flights from Mazatlán airport on Saturday, American airlines again canceled flights for the day.
Burning vehicles are seen blocking a road after the capture of drug lord Ovidio Guzman in Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico, January 5, 2023. (Revista Espejo/Leo Espinoza/Reuters)
Canadian airlines WestJet, Swoop and Sunwing all had flights scheduled to depart from Mazatlan on Saturday, but flights by US airlines, including American Airlines and United Airlines, appeared to remain cancelled.
Swoop said the Mazatlán airport has reopened without disruption.
“An increased police/military presence remains in the region to further ensure the safety and security of the public,” the airline said in an emailed statement on Saturday.
“Service to other Swoop destinations in Mexico remains unaffected by this situation, although crew and passengers may see additional law enforcement in various other areas out of an abundance of caution.”
Swoop added that it continues to advise everyone in the region to follow all instructions provided by local authorities.
WestJet said its operations to Mazatlan resumed on Saturday, while services to its other destinations in Mexico remained unaffected.
“We will continue to monitor the situation closely and make operational changes in the name of safety if necessary,” the airline said in an email.
WestJet noted that flexible change and cancellation policies remain in effect for customers with reservations affected by the latest travel advisories.
Air Canada said none of its destinations in Mexico were affected by the unrest, but the airline was “monitoring the situation closely.”
Sunwing did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Add Comment