The Foreign Office has issued a warning to Britons planning to travel as a county’s main airport is set to close during a day of national celebrations.
Benito Juarez International Airport in Mexico City (AICM) will close on Tuesday September 16, between 9am and 2pm local time, during Mexico’s National Day celebrations.
The Foreign Office said: “Travellers are advised to be in touch with their airlines or tour operators to check any changes to their flights during this period.”
The airport is the busiest in Mexico, and as of 2025, is the third-busiest in Latin America, and the 50th-busiest in the world by passenger traffic.
The airport is the busiest in Mexico
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More than 25 airlines fly into the airport from over 100 destinations across Mexico, the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
According to data from the airport itself, it handles an average of 124,000 passengers every day, on an average of 1,056 aircraft.
September 16 is the Mexican Independence Day, a national holiday which celebrates the country’s independence from Spain.
Across the country, all government offices, banks, and schools will be closed as parades, events and fireworks take place.
TRAVEL WARNINGS FOR BRITONS – READ MORE:
Across the country, parades will take place to mark Mexican Independence Day
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Schools, government offices and banks are among the buildings which will be closed on September 16
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Approximately 500,000 Britons travel to Mexico every year, and the country’s capital has seen a particular influx of tourists since the pandemic
However, earlier this year Mexico City was rocked by anti-tourism protests.
Locals claimed the spread of short-term lets like Airbnb has pushed them out of their own neighbourhoods.
Some campaigners demanded a cap be put on tourism numbers, while others claimed a restriction on foreign property ownership in the country should be enacted.
PICTURED: Graffiti left on walls throughout Mexico City after the protests
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REUTERS/RAQUEL CUNHA
PICTURED: Many in the protests blame short-term letting sites like Airbnb for pushing them out of their neighbourhoods
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REUTERS/RAQUEL CUNHAIn recent years, many nationals have described uncontrolled tourism which has ruined their country.
Two peaceful marches through the neighbourhoods of Condesa and Roma in Mexico City quickly became aggressive, and masked protesters smashed shopfronts, hurled abuse at tourists, and sprayed graffiti on walls.
