WestJet’s flights taking travelers directly from Toronto to Merida have vanished without explanation.
The low-cost airline’s seasonal route was to begin Nov. 27, but now Canadian travelers have no other choice than to connect in Mexico City or land in Cancun, more than four hours away by bus.
Toronto is under lockdown, grappling with an explosion of coronavirus cases, and the entire province of Ontario marked a full week with new cases above 1,700.
Coronavirus contingencies continue to frustrate expats. In late November, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau urged snowbirds to remain north this winter and not risk travel abroad.
Additionally, more than a dozen recent flights, including one on Nov. 7 from Cancun to Calgary, were found to have carried COVID-infected passengers.
The number of Canadians wintering in Yucatán, particularly along the Gulf Coast, is normally estimated in the thousands.
At least two airlines have continued to offer international routes at Merida’s airport. Direct flights on United to Houston, and on American Airlines to Miami, have resumed — at least for now.
Related: WestJet is Merida’s least reliable airline, study finds
