Mexico City airport launches earthquake drill program, says flights and passengers will not be affected

Mexico City’s Benito Juárez International Airport has started a series of earthquake drills designed to prepare everyone from airport employees to passengers for a major tremor, while keeping flights running normally.

The program began on Aug. 28 and will continue through Sept. 19 in offices and public areas at Terminals 1 and 2. The airport’s Civil Protection unit is coordinating the exercises, which it said will not disrupt travelers or aircraft arrivals and departures.

The drills will test several stages of an earthquake response, including self-protection, evacuation, assembly, assessment and the return to normal operations. The first exercise focused on explaining and reinforcing self-protection procedures. On Sept. 4 at 11 a.m., participants will practice a partial evacuation along a blocked route.

A tabletop exercise covering all response stages is scheduled for Sept. 14, followed by another earthquake drill on Sept. 16 at 11 a.m. The program will conclude on Sept. 19, when the airport joins Mexico’s National Earthquake Drill. That exercise will include hypothetical scenarios involving a fire and a person being struck, with participation from airport staff, airlines, service providers, security institutions, government agencies operating at the airport and passengers who choose to take part.