The head of the Federal Consumer Prosecutor’s Office (Profeco), Ricardo Sheffield, reported this Monday, at the morning press conference of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, that from January 6 to January 10, Aeromexico has canceled 260 flights due to the contagion of COVID-19 among airline personnel.
Ricardo Sheffield explained that as of this Sunday the flights are already regularized and explained that this problem was concentrated in Aereoméxico and, consequently, in the Benito Juárez International Airport of Mexico City (AICM) where this airline has its base of operations. .
“Between January 6 and January 10, there were 260 flights canceled by Aeroméxico, plus many others that left two, three, four or up to six hours late,” he said.
The owner of Profeco regretted that in this situation, consumers do not have a culture of reporting. In fact, from this agency only 103 consultancies, 18 immediate conciliations and eight formal complaints were granted to the thousands of affected passengers.
“But it also has to do with the fact that most of these passengers were countrymen who were going back to the United States, and although there are agencies like Profeco in this country, people are not very used to using it (the complaint phone ) “. Thus, although the Profeco number is visible to receive complaints, few resorted to it, “nevertheless we were intervening,” said Ricardo Sheffield.
The official pointed out that due to the cancellation of flights due to COVID-19 infections, Profeco asked Aeromexico to inform passengers in advance and implement flexibility policies for canceled flights.
He added that Volaris and VivaAerobús registered very few canceled flights, and reiterated that as of this Monday the departure of flights is already regularized.
Last Friday, Aeroméxico had to cancel some flights because 140 airline crew members tested positive for the Omicron variant of COVID-19, reported the Aviation Flight Carriers Union Association (ASSA).
The secretary general of ASSA, Ricardo del Valle Solares, reported in a circular that another 65 flight attendants are suspended due to lack of valid documents to travel (visas or passports).
ASSA detailed that absent overloads, due to illness or lack of current documentation, represents 10.3% of the airline’s staff. Situation that led to the cancellation of several flights and affected operations.
Due to the effects of COVID-19, Aeromexico reported on January 8 that 120 flights of the 489 scheduled for January 10, 2022, had modifications, and 40 flights of the 443 scheduled for January 11, 2022 also had modifications .
