Merida, Yucatan; August 11, 2020.- As part of the State of Yucatán’s Economic and Tourism Reactivation Plan, the State Government, headed by Mauricio Vila Dosal through the Tourism Development Secretariat (SEFOTUR) and in coordination with Mérida Airport concessionaire ASUR Group, have taken action to help restore air connectivity aversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, monitoring flight frequencies and gradually restoring air connectivity to the state.
Several months ago, airlines reduced their flight frequencies to the state’s capital due to the contingency caused by COVID-19. As of June, Mérida International Airport started a gradual reactivation of flight arrivals, recovering 42% percent of its domestic flight frequencies to date. International arrivals to Mérida rely heavily on the airport’s connectivity to other national airports in Mexico, making domestic flights important to the destination.
Volaris, the airline with the largest number of routes to Yucatán, has increased 109% of its national operations, reactivating the domestic routes Mérida-Monterrey, Mérida-Guadalajara and Mérida-Tijuana in addition to its route to Mexico City. Interjet, meanwhile, opened two daily flights from Mexico City to Mérida, doubling the weekly frequency from seven to 14 flights and increasing its operation by 50%; Aeroméxico, on its Mexico City to Mérida route, increased from 33 to 40 weekly flights as of August; and Viva Aerobus has activated 18 weekly flights on the Mérida-Mexico City, Mérida-Villahermosa and Mérida-Monterrey routes.
Michelle Fridman Hirsch, Secretary of Tourism of the State of Yucatán, commented that “the increase in connectivity operations in the state is a reflection of the work that has been done to place Yucatán as a state committed its visitors and to the tourism industry, and we will continue working to fulfill the commitments set in the Tourism Reactivation Plan towards the productive chain of tourism in Yucatán.”
In addition to the recovery in domestic flights, in September Yucatán will see its Mérida-Miami international flight operated by American Airlines reactivated, and it is expected that this year flights to Houston, Havana and Toronto also will return to the skies, depending on the development of the health contingency. The foregoing developments reflect synergies between the airline industry and the State of Yucatán in continuing the process of recovery and reestablishment of activities in Mexico and thus, with specific actions, supporting the local tourism industry and contributing, with responsible practices, to the recovery of tourists’ confidence in travel.
