Multiple Park City Residents Stranded After Puerto Vallarta Violence Shuts Down Airports

After Mexican security forces killed a high-profile Jalisco New Generation Cartel leader on Feb. 22, widespread violence in Jalisco erupted and closed airports in Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara, forcing airlines to cancel flights and leaving several Park City residents stranded. AP reporting cited in local coverage put the death toll at around 73 people during the operation and the violent aftermath.

Park City resident Kevin Lontz was vacationing near Puerto Vallarta when he and his party crossed the bay toward the airport. “As we cross this bay, we could see, and I have video of the entire coastline burning, smoke,” Lontz said. Halfway across the hour-long boat ride his group learned the airport was closed; after picking up fuel for a generator the boat returned to Yelapa. Lontz added, “It was a bit alarming, honestly, but we were on a boat headed away from that. Frankly, I felt like we were safe as we could possibly be, and I still feel that way.”

Joel Feldman of Jeremy Ranch said his family woke to plumes of smoke while vacationing in Puerto Vallarta and had been scheduled to fly out Sunday night. Feldman described the scene from his resort: “You would just constantly see plumes of smoke rising in one area of the city, and then I assume that people got in under control, and then another plume would sprout up elsewhere.” Rideshare fares to the airport surged as the day progressed, Feldman said, starting at about $20 in the morning, climbing to $100 by midafternoon, and then no rides being offered as the situation deteriorated.

Other eyewitnesses in Puerto Vallarta reported Molotov cocktails, burning buses and pitched gun battles with security forces. “I was right in the heart of Zona Romantica, and I was actually awake when things actually started popping off, so I got to see a lot of gunshots,” Anthony Scott told reporters, adding that he saw cars on fire and motorcycles apparently throwing Molotov cocktails. Randy Burge described the moment smoke and blasts began: “About 9:30, all of the sudden we see smoke and sounds of bombs going off.” Komonews and other outlets reported buses set on fire to block roads and exchanges of gunfire with police and the Mexican military.

Airlines including Delta Air Lines and Southwest Airlines canceled flights to Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara, and hundreds of tourists were stranded in resorts; Global News reported thousands of Canadians left in hotels. By Wednesday morning flights had begun returning from Mexico, and the U.S. State Department said the situation had “returned to normal” while President Claudia Sheinbaum said conditions were improving. For Park City travelers who faced sudden lockdowns, soaring fares and a closed airport, those statements signaled respite even as local families and named vacationers recounted an alarming weekend that upended holiday plans.