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There’s nothing worse than getting off the plane after a long flight and seeing an endless line at customs and passport control.
And Cancun International Airport was once notorious for its lengthy arrival process, with passengers often waiting between 3 and 4 hours from their flight’s landing before leaving the airport.
But that has all changed now.
According to a report from Riviera Maya NewsCancun Airport has successfully reduced the average entry wait time from nearly 3 hours to just 7 minutes.
Shorter waiting times upon arrival
The Mexican government’s Minister of Tourism has introduced new technologies that have dramatically reduced wait times for international arrivals from the United States and Canada.
These technologies were originally introduced at Cancun Airport and following their success, the Minister of Tourism, Miguel Torruco Marques, has now proposed introducing these tools at all major airports in Mexico.
What exactly are the changes that have reduced wait times so dramatically?
The most important new technology introduced in Cancun is automated immigration filters.
These machines are installed in Terminal 3, the terminal largely used for arrivals from the United States and Canada.
These machines can also be used by Mexican arrivals with a chip passport.
And if you can’t use the new automated kiosks (perhaps because you don’t have a US or Canadian passport), don’t worry: there are other upgrades too! 60 of the immigration agents at the airport have undergone public relations training from the Cancun Hotel Association.
Why? To ensure that if you do have to wait for an agent, you will receive excellent customer service when you finally get to the counter!
It is also worth noting that, as part of the commitment to new technologies, all terminals at Cancun Airport now offer free wireless Internet access for all passengers.
So at least you can scroll, stream or check social media while you’re in line!
Personal experiences
I’ve only arrived at Cancun airport once (at the beginning of the year) and it was far from a smooth experience.
3 hours in a long queue with minimal air conditioning, surrounded by drunk Brits (as a Brit I can say so myself!) The queues were disorganized and everything felt downright chaotic.
The fact that we couldn’t get a bottle of water anywhere made everything worse.
Compared to the experiences of travelers who have recently been to the Cancun airport, it feels like a completely new place! Smooth transitions, clear processes and, most importantly, very short queues.
I would certainly be interested to hear how and when these new technologies will be rolled out to other Mexican airports.
Travel smoothly through Cancun airport
Cancun’s airport is the 2nd largest in Mexicoi.e busiest airport (after Mexico City International Airport) and also ranks 43rdrd busiest airport in the world.
If we only look at international arrivals, it is the 10e busiest airport in the world.
If you want to avoid the inevitable crowds that come with an airport this popular, choose your arrival times wisely.
The busiest days to arrive at Cancun International Airport are weekend days (Saturday and Sunday) and the airport is busiest between 11am and 2pm. To avoid these crowds, consider arriving on a weekday and early in the morning or evening.
You can also make your arrival at Cancun airport smoother by making sure you have your passport and any supporting documents (such as your completed customs form) open and ready.
This may sound obvious, but I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve stood behind someone at the front of the queue with their passport still in their backpack!
Finally, stay calm and patient: this is the time to unleash that yoga breathing!
Things can and do go wrong, but honestly, your patience won’t get you through customs and passport control any faster.
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This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com
The opinions expressed here are solely those of the author, and not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included in the post.
