Canadian airlines return to Puerto Vallarta; cancellations are minimal, says Sunwing's Andrew Dawson

This story was updated on Tuesday, February 24 at  9:48 a.m. EST

Air Transat, WestJet, Air Canada and Porter Airlines are resuming flights to and from Puerto Vallarta today (Tuesday, February 24), according to company statements. 

“According to information provided by local authorities, no incidents related to road blockages have been reported in the state of Jalisco since midnight on February 23, and security measures have been reinforced,” Air Transat wrote PAX in an email late Monday (Feb. 23). 

Air Transat is still maintaining a special flexibility measure for flights to Puerto Vallarta on February 24 and 25, allowing travellers to change their booking without penalty or cancel their trip in exchange for a travel credit valid for 12 months from the original return date.

"Elsewhere in Mexico, operations are running normally," the company noted. 

WestJet posted an update to its website late Monday night, announcing its return to Puerto Vallarta and to other regions in Mexico. 

"Following a thorough review of the current conditions, WestJet will resume scheduled operations to and from Puerto Vallarta (PVR), Guadalajara (GDL) and Manzanillo (ZLO) beginning Tuesday, February 24," the airline wrote. 

"At this time, tourist and resort areas across Mexico remain open and continue to serve visitors. WestJet flights to Mexico will operate as scheduled to all destinations, with the safety of our guests and partners remaining our top priority." 

WestJet’s flexible/change policy remains in effect for guests travelling to PVR, GDL and ZLO until February 27. 

In addition, the airline says it will review all expense submissions incurred as a result of this week's disruption.  

"We continue to advise all guests to check the status of their flight before heading to the airport, provide additional travel time and anticipate the airport will be busy," WestJet said. 

Posting to its X account late Monday, Air Canada confirmed it will resume full operations from Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver to Puerto Vallarta on Tuesday, and operations from Toronto to Guadalajara on Wednesday (Feb. 25).

"We will advise any customers in Mexico who were on flights from Sunday and Monday of their new itinerary as soon as a rebooking option is confirmed," wrote the airline on X. "Customers should only proceed to @VallartaAirport if they have confirmation of their new flights, which show as operating." 

Air Canada noted that a flexible re-booking policy is in effect until the end of Feb. 28 for those with imminent travel to affected areas. Click here for details.

Porter will also restart Puerto Vallarta flights today. "Service may operate with modified schedules, so passengers should verify flight times on the Porter app or at flyporter.com before travelling to the airport," airline spokesperson Brad Cicero wrote PAX in an email Monday night. 

Two Porter flights are scheduled on Feb. 24 to and from Toronto and Ottawa. "We will further assess the ability to add extra flights in the coming days, so that more people may return home sooner," Cicero said. 

"While conditions in the Puerto Vallarta area have reportedly stabilized, we are continually monitoring the situation and updates may be made based on current circumstances."

Porter customers continue to be offered complimentary flight changes for Puerto Vallarta through Feb. 25. 

"If their flight is cancelled and we cannot provide rebooking options within 48 hours, we are also providing a refund option," Cicero said. 

Additionally, Flair Airlines' says it has rebooked its impacted PVR customers on flights set for Tuesday (Feb. 24).

26,000+ Canadians stranded

As reported, Canadians have been stranded in select regions of Mexico after cartel-related violence broke out on Sunday (Feb. 22).

Since then, airlines have gradually restored service to impacted regions. On Monday evening, United Airlines said their flights to Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara – two cities that experienced unrest after one of Mexico’s most powerful cartels set vehicles ablaze and exchanged gunfire with police – had resumed.

The situation follows the killing of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, also known as “El Mencho,” Mexico’s most wanted fugitive and head of the Jalisco New Generation (CJNG) drug cartel, during a security operation aimed at arresting him on Sunday.

Videos captured by residents and visitors showed thick smoke billowing over select communities in the state of Jalisco, including Puerto Vallarta, where many Canadians spend their winter. 

Global Affairs Canada is monitoring the “serious and rapidly evolving” situation in Mexico, Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand told reporters on Monday (Feb. 23).

“The situation remains fluid,” she said. “All Canadians in affected regions should heed the direction of local authorities and travel only when it is safe to do so.”

As of Monday morning, more than 26,000 Canadians have registered with Global Affairs Canada as being in Mexico, Anand said.

“We know that the actual number of Canadians in Mexico is likely much higher,” Anand said, because registration is voluntary.

Canadians are encouraged to register with department to get the latest about the situation, she said.

Anand also noted that she has been contact with her counterpart in Mexico, who expects the situation “to normalize in the coming days.”

"The city appears calm" 

Accounts on social media say the streets of Puerto Vallarta are quiet now, with locals reporting long lines at corner stores.

"The city appears calm, [with] no reports of violence that I have seen [nor] visible smoke," wrote local resident Mike Speaker, who lives in Puerto Vallarta's Romantic Zone, on Facebook on Monday. 

Speaker noted that local grocery options are limited, as several nearby stores, including Oxxo, Kiosco, and Farmacia Guadalajara, were destroyed by fire.

Global Affairs Canada is advising Canadians to exercise a high degree of caution if they are in Mexico, avoid non-essential travel in several states, and that the security situation "could deteriorate rapidly" across the country.

The Canadian government says security incidents have taken place across Mexico, including Jalisco (Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta), Guerrero (Acapulco), Michoacán, Sinaloa (Mazatlán), Quintana Roo (Cancun), Baja California (Tijuana and Tecate) and Nayarit.

Shelter in place orders also remain in effect in Jalisco and Nayarit.

Advisor stresses travel protection

The situation in Mexico presents yet another challenge for the Canadian travel industry, which is recovering from airlines recently cancelling flights to Cuba due to an ongoing fuel shortage on the island.

The violence also comes at a time when the country had been benefiting from an increase in Canadian visitors amid the U.S. travel boycott.

Speaking with PAX yesterday, Ottawa-based travel advisor Cindy Almond of Romance and Foodie Travel said this week’s events cast uncertainty over some of her Mexico bookings –a group bachelor party, in particular, soon heading to Mexico’s Riviera Maya (which appears to be mostly unaffected by cartel-related incidents).

Almond said she plans to monitor how things unfold over the next few days and will make decisions closer to departure dates, taking advantage of flexible policies.

“It’s another good reason to promote the travel protection plans offered by the tour operators as its puts customers in control of the decision rather than waiting on tour operator or traditional insurance, which may not offer the same flexibility,” Almond said.

“We’re running out of places for people to go"

Andrew Dawson, president of Sunwing Vacations Group, tells PAX that the tour operator’s Mexico cancellations have been minimal.

“Most people are changing their dates,” Dawson said Monday. “They’re delaying travel until things return to normal.”

Dawson remembers a similar cartel-related incident in Mazatlán, another popular destination for Canadians on Mexico’s Pacific coast, that occurred in 2023.

That event, which saw criminal groups burn cars and busses and exchange of gun fire with police, also temporarily cancelled flights into the destination.

“The tourist areas were swarmed with police and military and it died down fast,” Dawson recalled. 

Regarding the current situation in Puerto Vallarta, “I hope it’s a repeat in that things quickly return to normal,” he said.

The operational challenge, now, is finding alternative destinations for customers who decide to cancel their Mexico trips.

With the recent flight cancellations in Cuba, availability has become extremely limited in the sun market, Dawson said.

“We’re running out of places for people to go,” he said. “Fortunately, the recovery in Jamaica [which endured a Category 5 hurricane last October] is pacing well, but it’s challenging.”

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