Paraguayan Tourists Challenge Asur Over $30 Exit Fee at Cancún Airport

Cancún, Quintana Roo — Two Paraguayan tourists are questioning the criteria that Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste (Asur) uses to charge a $30 exit fee at Cancún International Airport, alleging the charge is applied unevenly and that they were singled out because of their appearance or nationality.

Paola Palacio and Andrea Ruíz said that at Terminal 2 the fee is not collected from every traveler, and that there is no clarity about what the charge covers. They also said the demand for payment put their flights at risk and amounted to discrimination.

“Some people pay, some people don’t, and they force you to pay. Why should we keep paying when we’ve already paid for the flight, we’re already paying for the hotel stay, we’re already paying the visitor tax and the hotel tax too, which came to $40? It makes no sense,” one of the tourists said.

The travelers said the requirement appeared to be tied to a passenger’s physical appearance or country of origin, and argued that airports should provide clear information about mandatory charges without distinguishing between nationalities or how a traveler looks.

Their complaint adds to mounting criticism of conditions at the airport. Employees say Cancún’s facilities have deteriorated despite Asur’s multimillion-dollar revenues, pointing to visible wear and leaks at Terminal 1 that appear even during light rain.

“Terminal 2 is a mess, it’s obsolete, and the cleaning staff spend all their time mopping up the leaks,” workers said at the time, describing a recurring problem.