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Major international airlines operating flights to and from Mexico have halted services this Sunday, February 22, after reports of the infamous ‘El Mencho’ cartel leader being killed by the Mexican Army. This saw the US State Department issue a travel warning for cities across Mexico, including Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara.
Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, also known as ‘El Mencho’, was a Mexican drug lord and known as a top leader in the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. He remained one of the most wanted people in all of Mexico and the United States, and had a $15,000,000 bounty on his head issued by US authorities.
Flight Cancelled
The military operation that killed Cervantes triggered several violent events across the Mexican state of Jalisco, including organised crime groups setting vehicles on fire, blocking roads, and clashing with authorities. While these violent events first began in the state of Jalisco, they have spread to other states such as Michoacán and Guanajuato.
Following the violence, this saw a number of major airlines canceled operations to and from Puerto Vallarta (PVR) and Guadalajara (GDL), both popular tourist towns for American and Canadian travelers. 
Delta Air Lines, Alaska Airlines, 
American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and 
United Airlines are just a handful of airlines that have decided to suspend services for the rest of the day.
Paranoia set in for many travelers, with reports and videos of people running and scrambling in airport terminals. Videos have also been shared of a large group of people who were escorted by uniformed airport employees across the tarmac at PVR. During the operation, residents were required to remain indoors, as public transportation services were suspended until control was regained.
Airports Respond
Puerto Vallarta International Airport shared on its Facebook page that due to these circumstances, it had decided to close the airport, which has led to disruptions in both domestic and international flights. The airport encouraged all travelers to check with their respective airlines to check their flight status before heading to the airport.
Just four hours after this message, a separate official statement was shared, noting that the violence across the state has not impacted or breached the airport’s internal operations or safety. The airport remains under the protection of the National Guard and the Ministry of National Defence. All international and most domestic flights remain cancelled.
Guadalajara Airport has been widely shared on social media that violence had broken out at the airport. This was rejected by the Mexican National Guard, noting that no incidents had taken place, and the videos shared online were just panic among passengers (as confirmed by the Washington Post).
El Paso Airspace Reopened Following Closure Due To Security Concerns
Passenger, cargo, and general aviation flights are all impacted by the temporary restriction.
Major US Airlines Monitoring The Situation
The U.S State Department issued a warning to all U.S. citizens in affected states of Mexico to encourage sheltering in place amid the ongoing military operations, and warned of criminal activity from organized crime groups. This saw many US airlines suspend services on Sunday. Delta Air Lines has issued a travel advisory for bookings to and from Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara between February 22 to 26, with rebooking being permitted for travel up until March 7.
American Airlines said that due to airport closures, it had cancelled all flights to PVR and GDL, and has issued a travel alert for those affected to be able to rebook their travel to another date without change or cancellation fees. Southwest Airlines also cancelled four flights that were expected to travel to PVR today, and is providing travelers the ability to amend bookings if their flights were impacted. United Airlines also has issued a travel alert relating to travel between February 22 and February 25, permitting travelers the ability to change plans for travel up until March 4 without receiving a penalty.
Canadian carriers have also taken swift action, with WestJet diverting seven flights that were enroute to Puerto Vallarta as reported by CTV News, and both airlines temporarily suspended flights to and from PVR following the violent clashes. Air Canada and WestJet have issued a flexible rebooking policy for travel between February 22 and February 25.
