DALLAS — An Aeromexico (AM) Embraer 190 was hit by gunfire at Culiacán International Airport (CUL). Culiacán is located in Sinaloa, Mexico. All crew members and passengers are safe.
The flight crew "detected a bullet impact in the fuselage of an Embraer 190 that was ready to fly flight AM165 on the Culiacán-Mexico City route," AM said on January 5.
According to FlightGlobal, the E190, registered as XA-ALW, never began its take-off roll due to the gunfire and the flight was canceled for security reasons. The carrier added that the airline's "protocols were activated, and the relevant authorities, with whom we will coordinate the investigations, were notified."
The Media Speculates
Several media outlets have linked the gunfire to the arrest of an alleged drug trafficker wanted in the United States by Mexican authorities on January 5, but there is no official confirmation of the reports.
The arrest, which also occurred in Sinaloa, comes just days before US President Joe Biden is scheduled to visit the country for a meeting of North American leaders.
Meanwhile, the Mexican Federal Civil Aviation Agency (AFAC) reported that a Mexican Air Force aircraft was also hit by gunfire on the same day. According to AFAC, airports in Culiacan, Mazatlan, and Los Mochis in western Mexico have all been closed to the public for security reasons.
As of yesterday, 26 domestic and six international flights have been canceled at Mazatlan International Airport (MZT). At CUL, 62 national passenger flights and eight cargo flights have been halted, including AM's CUL-MEX flight on the E190 scheduled for today.
Featured image: Aeromexico Connect XA-GAI Embraer E-190-100LR, sister aircraft of XA-ALW. Photo: Luke Ayers/Airways
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