Amid a CNTE standoff at Mexico City Airport entrances, federal sources report all flights proceeded uninterrupted despite brief delays and minor camera damage; teachers demand ISSSTE Law repeal, education reform reversal, and a 100 % salary hike.
At dawn on May 23, 2025, members of the National Coordinator of Education Workers (CNTE) blocked the main entrances to Mexico City International Airport (AICM). They tied ropes across access gates, damaged a handful of surveillance cameras and chanted, “No hay vuelos, no hay vuelos, no hay vuelos” while blaming former Head of Government Claudia Sheinbaum: “Es culpa de Claudia, es culpa de Claudia, es culpa de Claudia.” Federal sources confirm no flights have been canceled. Departures paused for just 18 minutes, and a small number of departures and arrivals logged minor delays.
AICM’s official X account reported that runway operations remained clear and that taxiways stayed open. Uniformed personnel from the Naval Airport Protection Unit, agents from the Federal Protection Service and contracted private security officers cordoned off both terminals. They guided passengers through alternative checkpoints and escorted them to drop-off zones. After CNTE negotiators agreed to shift their barricade 20 meters back, security forces lifted the temporary suspension and reopened the gates.
Passengers faced crowded parking lots and longer walks to check-in. “I had to park a kilometer away,” said business traveler María González. “Security handled it well, but I worried they might cancel my flight.” Federal sources briefed by the Secretariat of Communications and Transportation stressed airports never suspended air traffic control and maintained normal operations throughout the demonstration.
The CNTE demands the repeal of the 2007 ISSSTE Law and the 2019 education reform, plus a 100 percent salary increase on base pay. Teachers argue the ISSSTE overhaul cuts retirement benefits and the education reform tightens hiring rules and performance evaluations, undermining job security and collective bargaining. CNTE spokesperson Alberto Reyes told local press, “We will keep pressure until our pensions and salaries reflect our work. We won’t back down.”
Union leaders plan to hold formal talks at the Secretariat of Public Education on May 25 to present their proposals. They warned they will launch teach-ins at public schools and block highways if the government rejects their demands. So far, the office of Mayor Martí Batres has urged calm and asked both sides to avoid escalations that harm travelers. Federal police monitored the perimeter but did not directly engage the protesters.
Despite today’s tensions, AICM handles over 400 daily flights and more than 200,000 passengers each day. Federal sources say contingency plans sit ready to reroute ground traffic, deploy additional security and adjust schedules if needed. Travelers should follow AICM’s X updates and check with their airlines before heading to the airport.
For now, airport staff continue processing flights, luggage and passengers without further interruption. The CNTE blockade at AICM tests the union’s resolve and the authorities’ ability to balance protests with public service. Negotiations later this week will show whether teachers can win concessions—or if the demonstrations will escalate to choke points across the capital’s road network.