Puerto Vallarta International Airport has been cleared to resume commercial operations after Hurricane Simon forced the closure of one of Mexico’s main Pacific tourism gateways.
Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico (GAP), which operates the airport, announced on 12 October that the reopening would take place in two stages following coordination with Mexico’s Federal Civil Aviation Agency and air-navigation service provider SENEAM.
From 14:30 local time on 12 October, the airport was authorised to receive official aircraft only. The airport was then scheduled to reopen to all types of operations, including commercial passenger flights, from 13 October.
The gradual reopening followed an earlier extension of the closure period. Puerto Vallarta airport had initially been scheduled to reopen on 12 October, but an updated aviation notice extended the closure until 08:00 on 13 October as Hurricane Simon continued to affect the region.
GAP said the improvement in weather conditions allowed operations to restart, but warned that the return of scheduled flights would depend on each airline’s programming. Passengers have therefore been advised to confirm the status and departure time of their flight directly with their airline before travelling to the airport.
The closure began at 18:00 local time on 10 October and affected access to Puerto Vallarta during the passage of the hurricane. The nearby Manzanillo International Airport, also operated by GAP, resumed operations at 08:00 on 12 October.
The reopening marks the beginning of the tourism sector’s recovery from the disruption, but normal flight schedules may take time to return. Travellers with existing bookings should rely on airline confirmation rather than assume that every scheduled service has resumed.
