Need to fly during the Pope’s visit? Here’s info to plan accordingly

Travellers flying into or out of Buenos Aires during Pope Leo XIV’s four-day visit to Argentina should prepare for significant traffic disruption, road closures, and delays around Aeroparque and Ezeiza, the two main airports that concentrate air travel.

With large crowds expected to attend public events, traffic congestion is likely to be considerably heavier than usual, particularly around central Buenos Aires and the northern neighborhoods.

There will also be air traffic restrictions due to the arrival and departure of the pope’s aircraft, which can affect flight schedules. 

Passengers travelling to or from Aeroparque should allow additional time for their journeys, especially on November 8 and 10, when the Pope is scheduled to use the airport. Road restrictions and security operations may affect access routes and nearby streets in Recoleta and Palermo. 

All street blocks and cuts in Buenos Aires City are detailed in this story on the Pope’s itinerary in Argentina. 

Those travelling through Ezeiza should also anticipate delays, particularly on November 11, when the papal departure is scheduled to take place. The ceremony is scheduled for 1:30 p.m., and the plane to Lima will depart at 2 p.m.

Although Ezeiza is outside the city center and not a part of the main security operation, street blocks in Buenos Aires City and increased vehicle movements can affect traffic towards the airport.

Passengers should check flight status and airline notifications before departure, confirming taxi or private transfer arrangements, and monitoring official traffic updates.

Air traffic restrictions In addition to traffic delays, air travel will also be affected by the pope’s visit. According to Aeropuertos Argentina communications manager Carlos Armentano, there will be “temporary closures and airspace restrictions” set to be determined by the National Civil Aviation Administration (ANAC). 

Restricciones temporales del espacio aéreo por la visita del Papa León XIV

Del 8 al 11 de noviembre se implementarán medidas de seguridad aérea en Buenos Aires y Córdoba. pic.twitter.com/q3nYbzqMi6

— ANAC (@ANACargentina) November 3, 2026 Aeroparque Jorge Newbery, Córdoba International, and Ezeiza airports will implement two-hour closure windows, synchronized with the movements of the papal flight and the large-scale public gatherings that are planned.

Aeroparque will be the airport most affected, with eight hours of disruption spread across three days: Sunday 8 between 3:50 p.m. and 5:50 p.m., Monday 9 from 11:15 a.m. to 1:15 p.m., and Tuesday 10 from 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and 5:10 p.m. to 7:10 p.m.

Córdoba’s Internacional Airport will have restricted activity on Tuesday from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and from 3:55 p.m. to 5:55 p.m.

Ezeiza will have its closure window on Wednesday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

If you have a flight scheduled for any time during these windows, contact your carrier or check for messages from them with details on how your flight will be handled. 

Areas to avoid driving through Visitors are strongly advised to avoid driving through areas surrounding the Apostolic Nunciature in Recoleta, where the Pope will be staying, and the Monumento de los Españoles in Palermo, where major public events are planned, including a large public mass, open to everyone. 

Estimates call for more than one million people at Mass. 

These locations will be subject to security restrictions, road closures, and significant pedestrian traffic.

Traffic in the areas around Pope Leo’s activities will be closed, so if you’re moving around on a rental car or app-based car service, avoid the vicinity of these areas, as crowds are expected to gather in the streets surrounding these locations.

In Palermo, restrictions for vehicle circulation on Libertador Avenue, particularly around the Monumento a los Españoles area of Libertador and Av. Sarmiento, are already causing rush hour gridlocks.

The complications will escalate from the early hours of Wednesday, November 4, through Saturday, November 14, when full road closures will begin in stages, from Olleros Street to Ugarteche.

The restricted-traffic area will extend from Scalabrini Ortiz to Mariscal Sucre and from Santa Fe and Luis María Campos avenues to Figueroa Alcorta.

The pope’s last day in Buenos Aires On Wednesday, Pope Leo XIV’s final day in Buenos Aires will begin with a visit to the Buenos Aires Federal Penitentiary Complex in the Villa Devoto neighborhood at 8 a.m.

Afterwards, he will drive 60 kilometers to the city of Luján, in Buenos Aires province, where he will celebrate mass in the square in front of the Basilica of Our Lady of Luján, the most important religious pilgrimage center in Argentina.

This is expected to be the most massive and symbolically important event in Pope Leo’s visit. Inscription is recommended.

The pontiff will then travel to Ezeiza, where he will have a farewell ceremony and depart at 2 p.m.