MCALLEN, Texas — For some travelers going to different destinations in Mexico from McAllen, Texas, it got harder to travel this year. This time, many had to take a passenger bus.
“It would have been better by plane,” complained Carlos Reyes, who was traveling to Querétaro, a 12-hour drive from McAllen.
On the same bus, Hortencia Garcia added resignedly, “But by plane, I see it as a remote possibility.”
Just as remote as their destination is in many cases for a bus ride, the flight possibility is remote because of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) announcement last month that it is cancelling 13 routes between the Felipe Angeles International Airport near Mexico City and several airports in the U.S., including Houston and McAllen, Texas.
The Transportation Department said the cuts were in response to Mexico’s alleged noncompliance with an air transport agreement.
One of the affected airlines is Aeroméxico, which is a major airline, and this comes right before the holiday season.
This is a season of high travel volume for border residents and for Mexican residents who come to the border for shopping or visiting family. For some travelers, like Lourdes Garcia, traveling to Mexico to be with family this season is a must, despite the U.S. State Department’s travel warning specifically for bus travel through the northern Mexican states of Nuevo León and Tamaulipas because of reports of highway robbery and drug cartel violence.
“Fear? We’re all gonna be afraid, but we still have to go there, for one or other reason,” said Garcia.
Yet, the cancellations affect more than holiday travel. It’s about the border economy and the international shoppers this area relies heavily on. The City of McAllen issued a statement in which Mayor Javier Villalobos said the cancellation “strikes at the heart of the binational economy, our families, and our cultural ties.”
But for others like José Vieira, who travels often for work to Mexican cities back and forth, the flight cancellations are no problem at all.
“I feel safe going on bus, you know? So, it’s not a big deal, but for most people who are scared, I just recommend go on the bus. Best way to travel,” said Vieira.
Many travelers actually prefer to take the bus, as some carriers typically and famously provide very comfortable rides. And that will have to do in many cases, at least for now. The 13 airline routes seem to be closed permanently for the time being.
link