Mexico City Airport Halts Flights After Torrential Rains Cause Major Flooding

Mexico City’s Benito Juárez International Airport was forced to suspend all flight operations for several hours on Sunday after torrential rains flooded parts of the capital, reducing visibility and crippling transport.

“Due to this afternoon’s heavy rainfall and reports of low visibility… the aeronautical authority has ordered the suspension of all landing and takeoff operations for the next three hours,” the airport announced on its official X account shortly before 9:00 pm local time (0300 GMT).

Officials said the pause would allow crews to pump out floodwaters and restore the airport’s full operational capacity.

The Benito Juárez International Airport one of Latin America’s busiest, handling over 45 million passengers in 2024 is a key gateway for both domestic and international travel.

Sunday’s downpour inundated major roads across Mexico City, with floodwaters reaching up to 50 centimetres (19 inches) in some neighborhoods. City authorities responded by activating a purple alert, the highest-level warning, for the central metropolitan area of more than nine million residents.

The flooding is the latest in a series of severe weather events to strike Mexico in recent months. In June, Hurricane Erick tore through southern Mexico, leaving two dead and widespread devastation in its wake.

Last October, Acapulco suffered a direct hit from Hurricane Otis a rare Category 5 storm which killed dozens and caused catastrophic damage. In September 2023, Hurricane John, a Category 3 system, claimed around 15 lives.

Mexico’s storm season typically runs from May to November, bringing intense rainfall and powerful tropical systems that regularly test the country’s infrastructure and emergency response.