Airline abruptly suspends service, leaving desperate travelers stranded in popular resort towns

A low-cost Mexican airline that flies tourists to popular resort cities like Cancun has abruptly suspended flights and left travelers stranded in the country.

Beginning April 11, Grupo Aéreo Monterrey also known as Magnicharters suspended all flights for two weeks citing “logistical problems.” The company calls itself “the tourist airline of Mexico.”

“We are addressing this situation with due diligence to restore operations as soon as possible,” the company said in a statement.

Mexico’s Federal Civil Aviation Agency indicated the logistical issues are actually financial. The agency this past week said that the airline will not be permitted to operate until it resolves its financial issues. A statement by the airline’s pilots said there have been months of nonpayment.

The financial problems were deemed to “pose a risk to operational safety,” Riviera Maya News reported. Magnicharters will have time to submit a plan to show it can reach solvency — or face permanent closure.

Many travelers were stranded that April 11 weekend, including 200 in Cancun. Mexico’s aviation authority is implementing a contingency plan redirecting passengers to other airlines such as Viva and Volaris. It’s unclear if any of the passengers were from California.

Magnicharters had a peak of 27 routes and a fleet of five Boeing 737 planes. Government data showed it flew 7,500 passengers during the first two months of the year.

The airline’s fiscal distress comes as the price of jet fuel skyrockets due to a constrained oil supply resulting from America’s war with Iran.

Smaller carriers are especially feeling the pinch. Air Albania and Slovenian low-cost carrier AlpAvia shut down in the past few months as well.

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