Mexico City airport will suspend all flights for five hours on Thursday for an air show to celebrate the anniversary of Mexican independence.
Latin America’s busiest airport will close from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., as it does every year.
This year marks two centuries of independence from Spain. The anniversary is commemorated with the “El Grito” celebration on September 15, with other events such as the air show on subsequent days.
“As with every year and in accordance with the national aeronautical authority … [the airport] will be closed to both commercial and official air operations, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.,” the Transport Ministry said in a statement.
Immediately after the conclusion of the military air parade, takeoffs and landings will resume.
In 2019 Mexico City was the busiest airport in the region for passenger traffic, transporting more than 50 million passengers. São Paulo-Guarulhos was the second busiest with 43 million and Bogotá’s El Dorado third with 34 million. Cancún was the fourth busiest airport in Latin America with 25 million passengers and Guadalajara 10th with 14 million passengers.
Those figures fell sharply in 2020 due to travel restrictions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
With reports from A21
