Mexico City’s Benito Juarez International Airport suspended operations for several hours on Sunday after torrential rains flooded parts of the capital and reduced visibility, authorities confirmed.
In a post on its official X account before 9:00 pm local time (0300 GMT), the airport announced that landing and takeoff operations were halted for three hours to allow rainwater removal and restore full operational capacity.
The heavy downpour flooded major roads across the city, with water levels reaching up to 50 centimetres (19 inches) in some areas. The capital’s government issued a purple alert — its highest warning level — for the central districts of the metropolis, home to over nine million residents.
Benito Juarez International Airport, one of Latin America’s busiest and handling 45.4 million passengers in 2024, is among two international airports serving the city.
Mexico experiences frequent major storms between May and November. This year’s rainy season has already seen severe weather events, including June’s Hurricane Erick, which left two people dead in southern Mexico, and last year’s Category 5 Hurricane Otis, which killed dozens in Acapulco.
