WASHINGTON — Flights between Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and Puerto Vallarta are set to resume Tuesday morning, according to FlightAware, after a wave of cancellations triggered by cartel violence in Mexico over the weekend.
The U.S. halted flights to and from several Mexican cities, including Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta, following the death of a cartel leader Sunday. The killing sparked widespread retaliation, leaving American tourists sheltering in place and others stuck in limbo.
The first flight out of SEA to Puerto Vallarta is scheduled for 8 a.m. on Alaska Airlines Tuesday, with return flights also cleared for that evening.
Seattle resident Jack Gillin watched the chaos unfold from his Puerto Vallarta balcony Sunday, counting plumes of smoke rising over the city as cartel members burned cars, buses, and gas stations. It blocked roads across town.
“A shutdown of traffic, commerce, and people moving,” Gillin said.
He said he was packed and ready to leave at a moment’s notice but was advised to stay put.
“All indications were pointing that, look, you’re safer at home,” Gillin said.
Leticia Gonzalez, who lives in Puerto Vallarta part-time, had a similar experience. She watched the smoke fill the sky and stayed inside her home.
“They took over cars and buses and everything,” she said. “We were just afraid of going out. We didn’t know what was going on.”
Gonzalez plans to remain inside until she flies back to Seattle on Wednesday.
Both Gillin and Gonzalez say the city appears to be returning to normal, though residents and tourists are venturing out with caution.
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