PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico, Oct. 10, 2026 — Hurricane Simon, a Category 4 storm, is closing on the Jalisco coast and is forecast to reach it early Sunday. Puerto Vallarta’s airport (PVR) was open at last report, but airlines are pulling flights and Volaris has cancelled its entire Sunday schedule there.
What is happening
- The storm: at 6 a.m. CST Saturday the U.S. National Hurricane Center put Simon about 220 miles south-southeast of Cabo Corrientes with 150 mph winds, moving north at 5 mph. More strengthening is forecast today.
- Timing: the center is expected near or just inland of the coast early Sunday. Tropical storm conditions could reach the warning area as soon as Saturday afternoon. The Weather Channel’s forecast takes the core over or near Puerto Vallarta later Sunday.
- Warning area: a hurricane warning runs from Punta San Telmo to El Roblito, a stretch of coast that takes in Puerto Vallarta.
- Rain: 10 to 20 inches, with isolated totals near 30 inches, across parts of Michoacan, Colima, Jalisco and Nayarit through Sunday.
- Airport status: airport operator Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico (GAP) said PVR was open and operating as of 4:30 p.m. Friday and warned of schedule adjustments through the weekend. No closure has been announced. Local outlet Tribuna de la Bahia reported unconfirmed talk of a shutdown on Saturday between 4 and 6 p.m. Closure and reopening times: TBA.
- On the ground: Jalisco is halting non-essential activity on its coast from 5 p.m. Saturday, including public transport and gas stations, The Rio Times reports.
Airline cancellations and waivers
| Airline | Action at PVR | Dates affected |
|---|---|---|
| Volaris | Saturday round trips from Queretaro (flights 7506/7507) and Mexico City (282/283) cancelled; all Sunday flights cancelled | Oct. 10–11 |
| Aeromexico | Flight AM58 drops its Puerto Vallarta stop; other cancellations TBA. Waiver allows changes with new travel by Oct. 14 | Oct. 11–12 (AM58) |
| Viva Aerobus | Free date change within 7 days, or a travel credit for the full amount | Oct. 9–12 |
| American | Waiver for tickets bought by Oct. 8; change by Oct. 11 for travel Oct. 9–14 | Oct. 9–11 |
| Alaska | Waiver for Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and Manzanillo tickets bought by Oct. 8; new travel Oct. 8–14 | Oct. 8–11 |
| United | Waiver for Puerto Vallarta and Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo tickets bought by Oct. 8; new flights Oct. 9–14 | Oct. 10–11 |
Plans from other carriers serving PVR: TBA.
What it means for non-revs
- Do not start a standby trip to PVR this weekend. With Volaris out on Sunday and other schedules shrinking, open seats will go to rebooked revenue passengers first.
- If you are in Puerto Vallarta now, the window to leave is closing. Flights that still operate on Saturday will be full, and public transport stops at 5 p.m. Have a shelter plan instead of waiting at the airport.
- Expect a backlog lasting days. Airline waivers let revenue customers rebook through October 14, so standby lists are likely to stay long at least until then.
- Waivers cover revenue tickets. If you hold a non-rev or ZED listing, cancel or relist it through your own airline’s system so you are not marked a no-show.
- Crew and commuters: check for layover and positioning changes. Aeromexico has already dropped an overnight stop.
- Wait for confirmation before listing. Reopening depends on damage. Look for word from GAP or your airline that flights are operating.
Sources
- National Hurricane Center, “Hurricane Simon Intermediate Advisory Number 12A”: nhc.noaa.gov
- GlobalMedia, “Huracán Simón provoca cancelaciones de vuelos en Puerto Vallarta; GAP pide consultar a las aerolíneas”: globalmedia.mx
- Tribuna de la Bahía, “Siguen las cancelaciones de vuelos a Puerto Vallarta; Volaris también suspende operaciones”: tribunadelabahia.com.mx
- Tribuna de la Bahía, “Inician cancelaciones de vuelos a Puerto Vallarta por huracán ‘Simón'”: tribunadelabahia.com.mx
- UnoTV, “Huracán Simon provoca cancelaciones de vuelos y activa políticas de protección en aerolíneas”: unotv.com
- The Rio Times, “Hurricane Simon Grows to Category 4 as Mexico Braces”: riotimesonline.com
- The Weather Channel, “Rachel: 1st S. California tropical storm watch since 2023”: weather.com
- American Airlines, “Travel alerts”: aa.com
- Alaska Airlines, “Travel Advisories”: alaskaair.com
- Open Jaw, “Carriers Waive Change Fees as Hurricanes Threaten Gulf Coast, Mexico’s Pacific Coast”: openjaw.com
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