The arrival of Hurricane Beryl to the Yucatán Peninsula has interrupted airport operations leading to canceled flights in Cancún and Tulum, Quintana Roo.
Tulum airport suspended all incoming and departing air traffic from Thursday afternoon until noon Sunday. Authorities at the Cancún International Airport made a similar decision a short time later, suspending most operations as of 3:30 p.m. on Thursday afternoon. Cozumel’s international airport also suspended flights to Cancún.
Tulum International Airport authorities met with meteorologists and representatives from local, state and federal governments before making the decision to close the airport.
Quintana Roo Governor Mara Lezama reported that 284 flights had been canceled as of Thursday night while airlines operating elsewhere in the state of Quintana Roo worked to accommodate passengers with flights affected by Hurricane Beryl.
Lezama urged travelers to verify their flight status before heading to the airport. “Airports do not serve as shelters!” she warned.
In total, 348 flights were canceled Thursday through Saturday, Infobae reported early Friday morning. At the time, the airport still had 174 arrivals and 174 departures on the schedule for those days. Cancún airport officials said on the social platform X that Frontier Airlines, WestJet, United Airlines, Volaris, Air Canada, Aeromexico and Southwest Airlines canceled some or all flights during the time period.
#Beryl makes landfall over the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico as a Category 2 Hurricane with winds of 110 mph (175 km/h) 🌀 pic.twitter.com/S0QoRL71Fr
— Zoom Earth (@zoom_earth) July 5, 2024
Governor Lezama issued a bulletin advising travelers to consult the Aeropuertos del Sureste (ASUR) website for Cancún flight information. ASUR operates nine airports in southeastern Mexico including the Cancún International Airport.
Airlines also issued instructions to travelers with flights affected by Beryl, communicating directly with passengers via social media. Arilines provided affected travelers with contact information in case they needed to adjust their itineraries.
Volaris advised passengers to communicate via WhatsApp at 55 5898 8599 or at the airline’s Facebook page Facebook @viajavolaris. Viva Aerobus passengers can find information at http://bit.ly/46CsWou or at @VivaAerobus on Facebook. Meanwhile, Mexicana asked passengers to keep in touch via X at @MexicanaVuela_.
Travelers were also advised not to go to the airport unless their flights had been confirmed.
Beryl made landfall just north of Tulum on Friday morning as a Category 2 storm with 110 mph winds before weakening to a Category 1 storm. An 11 a.m. update from the U.S. National Hurricane Center said Beryl’s maximum sustained winds had decreased to 85 mph.
Meteorologists expect the storm to emerge in the Gulf of Mexico later Friday. However, heavy rains and intense winds will continue to be a factor on Saturday.
With reports from La Jornada Maya and Infobae
