Aeroméxico cancels 300 flights as flight crews suffer COVID infections

Aeroméxico canceled approximately 300 flights during the past five days due to coronavirus infections among crew members.

In a report submitted to the consumer protection agency Profeco, the airline said about 9% of 3,100 flights scheduled between those dates were canceled.

At least 140 Aeroméxico pilots and cabin crew members have tested positive for COVID-19 in recent days, while 65 were suspended because their employment paperwork was not in order, according to aviation union ASSA. The airline said it conducts some 14,000 tests a week to detect infections.

“The phenomenon caused by omicron has had an impact on the aviation industry at a global level,” Aeroméxico told Profeco.

“… Despite the [high] infection rate [among crew members], Aeroméxico has implemented protocols that have allowed it to only cancel around 300 flights,” it said.

The airline said that all customers affected by the cancellations would be booked on alternate flights.

One Mexico City woman who spoke with Mexico News Daily was rebooked on a flight home from Mérida, Yucatán, on Monday morning after her flight on Saturday was canceled. However, Dr. Silvia Ortiz, a psychiatrist, was advised Sunday that her Monday flight was also canceled, forcing her to buy a ticket with Volaris to reach the capital for work commitments on Monday afternoon.

Flight cancellations have caused chaos at Mexico City airport in recent days. Thousands of people were left stranded after arriving at the airport to find out their flights had been canceled. Some of those affected took to social media to criticize Aeroméxico, whose call centers were overwhelmed.

“Terrible service from @Aeromexico, they don’t tell you anything, they cancel flights, they don’t refund anything,” one Twitter user wrote.

The airline said in a statement Friday that the delay or cancellation of flights was “not a decision we take lightly and it is always the last resort.”

It also advised customers to “remain attentive to the status of their flight through our official channels.”

With reports from El Universal and Infobae

Have something to say? Paid Subscribers get all access to make & read comments.
highway construction

Overcoming a disappointing first quarter, Mexico is now one of the OECD’s top-growing economies

0
While many of the world's strongest economies — including the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan and Germany — slowed down in the second quarter, Mexico's economy grew 1.4% from April to June.
Chuburná

Construction on 14-tower tourist project on Yucatán’s coast halted on environmental grounds

0
The work halt at the development site on duneland near Chuburná Puerto, 15 kilometers from the beach town of Progreso, is temporary at this point, as more legal proceedings are to follow.
helicopters flying overhead near the State Attorney General’s Office in Mexicali on Tuesday, following an alert issued by the United States

What’s the latest on the security situation in Mexicali?

0
No major security incidents were reported in the northern border city on Tuesday or Wednesday morning. What's the current status of the United States government's recent alert?
BETA Version - Powered by Perplexity