First flights returning from Puerto Vallarta land in Calgary

Touching down at the Calgary International Airport Tuesday night are some of the first flights returning from Puerto Vallarta, carrying Canadians who were caught in the Mexican city when cartel violence broke out.

This comes as flights to and from Puerto Vallarta resumed Tuesday, with two departures from Calgary International Airport leaving in the morning — earlier than expected as carriers worked to restore normal operations.

Canadian airlines resumed service to Puerto Vallarta after tourists and locals in multiple regions of Mexico were told to shelter in place to escape violence that erupted on Sunday after the death of a notorious cartel leader as part of a government operation.

Some arriving in Calgary said they saw the Mexican army in the streets, and many gas stations and convenience stores were torched, with buses lit on fire blocking the roads.

But despite describing harrowing scenes, many we spoke with said their view of the country hasn’t changed.

“The Mexicans were telling us to go inside, and there was a lot of people running from places where the fires had just started,” Montana Dunn told CityNews.

“It didn’t feel unsafe at any point. I’ve seen people saying it was apocalyptic and a warzone, but it was not that feeling at all to me.”

Despite the concerning events that unfolded in the Jalisco state of Mexico, many were happy that flights resumed as quickly as they did, thankful to be back on Canadian soil.

“I was just totally shocked, I thought we’d be there for 4-5 more days. I did hear, though, there are people that are going to be there for maybe up to a week,” said Vincent Lapointe.

One of those people is a friend of Dunn’s who is still stuck in Mexico.

“Her flight was cancelled for I think it was 10 days. She was supposed to fly back today, and then the flight they booked her on was March 6,” she said.

As more Canadians arrive home from vacations that didn’t go as planned, some expressed gratitude for their safety and those living in the area.

“We were in an all-inclusive resort, so it was fine. I felt sorry for the staff because they stayed there the night. Bless their hearts, they worked so hard,” Colleen Toothill said.

Meanwhile, some of these travellers say lower ticket prices could incentivize them to head right back.

With files from Edward Djan