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Possible Interjet bankruptcy would not affect Cancun, Riviera Maya tourism

Riviera Maya, Q.R. — After Interjet canceled three days of flights, tourism officials in Quintana Roo say a possible bankruptcy by the company would not affect state tourism.

Darío Flota Ocampo, director of the Tourism Promotion Council of Quintana Roo says if the airline went bankrupt, its routes would be assumed by its competition. He agreed that the sudden suspension of operations of the airline in recent days caused problems as it left many people stranded.

In Cozumel, the situation was amplified since it was not possible to leave the island by ferry due to the bad weather. Due to Front No. 11, ferry services to and from the island remain suspended “until further notice”.

He added that the route to Cancun is the most successful for national airlines, and if Interjet were to leave, another airline would likely assume the route, mentioning that next week, VivaAerobus begins flights to Cancun from San Luis Potosí and Aguascalientes, as well as one from Mexico City to Chetumal. There are also Magnicharters, Volaris and Aeroméxico.

Although Interjet has resumed flights, Flota Ocampo commented that there is a notice from Profeco (Procuraduría Federal del Consumidor) recommending travelers not purchase tickets with the airline. On their website, Profeco says “alerts about the risk of establishing business relationships with Interjet, due to repeated breaches of legal provisions to the detriment of consumers’ human rights.”

They say Interjet has been facing various problems in its commercial operation for several months, including the suspension of various international routes, lack of payment to its personnel, suspension of the license to operate the international air service to Canada and the seizure of bank accounts, goods and brands by the tax authority.

They say that this year, they have received 1,542 complaints from consumers, mostly for the cancellation of flights, with the most recent case being the cancellation of flights on October 31, as well as November 1 and 2, 2020, affecting a total of 3,099 passengers.