First: work out who has it
This is the step that saves days. Three different organisations handle lost property here and they do not talk to each other. Calling the wrong one is the most common reason people get nowhere.
| Where you lost it | Who has it | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| On the aircraft | The airline | The airport's lost property office is explicitly not responsible for anything left on a plane. Go to your airline's baggage desk. |
| Checked bag missing at the belt | The airline | Report it at the airline's baggage services desk before leaving the airport. Baggage is handled by airline staff, not airport staff. |
| Somewhere in the terminal | Airport security office | Call the switchboard and ask for lost and found in your terminal. |
| In a taxi or transfer | The operator | Your receipt or booking has the number. For an airport taxi, the counter where you bought the ticket. |
Contacting the airport's lost property office
- Claim in person or by phone — the office asks that requests are not sent by email.
- The office is staffed during working hours even though security operates around the clock. Calling mid-morning gets further than calling at midnight.
- Only the owner can claim an item.
What to have ready before you call
The more specific you are, the better the odds. A description of «a black suitcase» matches half the storeroom.
- The item: brand, colour, size, type, and any identifying mark — a sticker, a scratch, what is inside it.
- When: date and approximate time.
- Where: terminal, and as precisely as you can recall — gate, restaurant, bathroom, security line.
- Your flight: airline and flight number.
- Your contact: a number that works while you are in Mexico.
If it is a passport
A lost passport is a different problem, and the airport is not where it gets solved. Contact your consulate, which can issue an emergency travel document. Report it to the police as well, because you will usually be asked for the report.
Common questions
What is the phone number for lost and found at Cancun airport?
The airport switchboard is +52 998 848 7200. Ask for the lost property office in your terminal — extension 1282 for Terminal 3, extension 1251 for Terminal 1. Claims are made in person or by phone; the office asks that they are not sent by email.
I left something on the plane at Cancun. Who do I contact?
Your airline, not the airport. The airport's lost property office is explicitly not responsible for items left on board — aircraft and baggage are handled by airline staff. Go to your airline's baggage services desk.
My checked bag did not arrive at Cancun airport. What now?
Report it to your airline's baggage services desk before you leave the airport. Give them your flight number, a description of the bag and the name of your hotel. Airport staff do not handle checked baggage.