For the second time in three days, heavy rains forced the Mexico City International Airport (AICM) to suspend operations early Tuesday.
In addition to flooded runways and significant pooling of water over large sections of the tarmac, poor visibility prompted aviation authorities to shut down the airport at 2:13 a.m.
The authorities initially indicated that operations could resume by 6 a.m. and at 10:40 the airport announced that one runway had been reopened, but warned that additional delays are expected.
In a social media post, the Naval Ministry (which manages operations at AICM) said that “16 flights have been diverted, three were canceled and 120 were delayed, with a total of 19,500 passengers affected.”
According to the newspaper La Jornada, the flight-tracking portal FlightAware had recorded 29 cancellations and 17 delayed flights. Of these 46 flights, 41 were Aeroméxico Airlines flights and three were Aeroméxico Connect.
At 9:30 a.m., Aeroméxico issued a statement on social media, urging federal authorities and the Mexico City government “to take actions that ensure the proper functioning of the [airport’s] infrastructure and implement the necessary preventive measures.”
The airline also informed its passengers of its efforts “to re-accommodate the vast majority … on other flights,” while warning that the ongoing inclement conditions “will continue to impact operations and could lead to additional delays and cancellations.”
The heavy rainfall on Sunday — the 84 mm (3.3 inches) of rain was the most in Mexico City since 1952, and more than half the typical amount of rain for the entire month of August — shuttered the Mexico City airport for four hours, forcing the cancellation of 91 flights and delaying another 149.
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Aeroméxico — the country’s flagship carrier — was also the hardest hit on Sunday, suffering 76 cancellations and 79 delays, while its subsidiary Connect added nine cancellations and 20 delays.
In all, nearly 15,000 passengers were affected by the collapse of operations, according to the newspaper El Financiero. Thousands were stranded at Mexico City’s airport on Monday, waiting in long lines, some for more than 20 hours, as airlines scrambled to reschedule flights.
Conditions for air travel are not expected to get any easier as the National Water Commission (Conagua) warned of heavy rains in the Valley of Mexico the rest of the week.
A National Meteorological Service (SMN) forecast suggested Mexico City could see a cumulative 50 mm (2 inches) of rain on Monday and Tuesday, but heavier rains are expected on Wednesday and Thursday.
Mexico City authorities issued an Orange Alert in certain sections of the capital on Tuesday, warning of floods and dangerous puddling on roadways.
With reports from La Jornada, Expansión, Proceso and Milenio
