Mérida, Yucatán — The federal consumer protection agency received 68 complaints from travelers whose flights at the Manuel Crescencio Rejón International Airport were either delayed or canceled in the last 30 days.
Friday concludes the first full month since the nation’s Civil Aviation Law took effect, forcing airlines to compensate inconvenienced travelers.
Complaints from air travelers in Mérida tripled since the law came into place Nov. 8, according to the Sipse news agency.
Both the Ministry of Communications and Transportation (SCT) and Profeco monitor compliance with the new legal provisions and receive complaints from travelers.
Authorities could not specify the amount of the fines that resulted in Yucatán, but nationally, airlines were forced to pay a total of 22.4 million pesos.
When flights are delayed from one to four hours, and it’s the airline’s snafu, passengers are due meals and a discount on a future flight of no less than 7.5 percent of the original fare.
A delay of more than four hours renders the flight officially canceled. The airline must reimburse the full airfare and compensate travelers no less than 25 percent of the original ticket price. They also must provide substitute transportation on the next available flight.
Unlike the Campeche airport, Mérida’s airport registers a low incidence in flight delays, at just 10 percent, mainly due to weather, according to data from the Ministry of Communications and Transportation.
Mérida’s airport has gotten busier in 2017. Figures from the Ministry of Communications and Transportation, which tracked the first 10 months of this year, position Mérida among the top 10 growing destinations in Mexico.
The airport planned to welcome its 2 millionth passenger today (Thursday).
Source: Sipse
