This article is from the November 2001 The Mexico File newsletter.
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Airport Security in Mexico

by Marion Bayer 

Marion Bayer owns Siesta Tours, Inc., which specializes in cultural immersion tours to Colonial Mexico for older travelers. Telephone 800-679-2746, 7021 Westavia Drive, Knoxville, TN 37909. Email go@siestatours.com and check out Marion’s website at www.siestatours.com

As a tour operator, I would like to report on my recent experiences traveling within Mexico. 

I have conducted two tours to Oaxaca since September 11 and I would like to let everyone know that the security at the Oaxaca and Mexico City airports is wonderful. Mexico has always been a very safe country and these two trips were no exception. At the Oaxaca and Mexico City airports, our carry-on luggage was x-rayed and then hand-searched. Airport officials are not allowing anything that could possibly be used as a weapon to go on board. This includes umbrellas and camera batteries. We had to remove our umbrellas and camera batteries and were able to put them into our checked luggage. In Mexico City our carry-ons and purses were hand-searched several times, both while passing through security and at the gate before boarding. Security officers used colored dots to indicate that carry-ons had been searched and all carry-ons carried special tags. Airport security also used hand-held metal detectors to randomly screen the passengers before they boarded the plane. Did the people in my groups feel put upon? Absolutely not. Everyone expressed how much safer they felt with the additional vigilance.  

I strongly urge everyone contemplating a trip to Mexico to go ahead with their plans. You’ll have a wonderful time and a very safe flight.