British Airways suspended flights to and from Mexico as of Sunday, August 15, due to British government restrictions on people traveling from this country due to fears over new coronavirus virus strains entering the United Kingdom.
The UK has included Mexico in its “red list” of countries, prohibiting entry for everyone except British and Irish citizens, and legal residents.
Flights to London from Mexico City and Cancun will be suspended through September 30, the airline said.
According to independent aviation sources, British Airways had 9,640 passengers scheduled to travel to Cancun between August 15 and September 30. Of these, 8,644 were set to travel on 26 flights from Gatwick Airport and 996 on three from Heathrow, London’s main airport.
According to the Mexican Tourism Ministry, during 2020 the Gatwick-Cancun route operated 73 flights with a volume of 19,300 passengers.
In 2020, British Airways ranked third in the number of flights to Mexico among European airlines, but dropped to eighth in the first half of 2021.
The World Travel and Tourism Council estimates that Mexico will lose more than US$60 million a month as long as it remains on the British red list.