Mexico City’s Benito Juarez International Airport suspended operations for several hours on Sunday after heavy rains flooded the capital and caused poor visibility, authorities said. The airport announced on its official X account before 9:00 pm local time (0300 GMT) that the aeronautical authority had ordered a three-hour halt to landings and takeoffs. The suspension aimed to clear floodwaters and restore operational capacity.
Benito Juarez International Airport, one of two in the city and among Latin America’s busiest with 45.4 million passengers in 2024, faced flooding that also inundated major roads, with water reaching up to 50 centimeters (19 inches) in some areas. The city government issued a purple alert — the highest level — for central districts of the metropolis, home to over nine million residents.
The storm marked another episode in Mexico’s intense rainy season, which typically runs from May to November. In recent years, the country has endured devastating hurricanes, including Hurricane Erick in June 2025, which killed two people, and Hurricane Otis in October 2023, a Category 5 storm that struck Acapulco, killing dozens. Hurricane John, a Category 3 storm in September 2023, claimed about 15 lives.
