San Francisco, Dec 27: Hundreds of flights were delayed and several cancelled at the United States’ San Francisco International Airport (SFO) on Friday due to strong winds and a temporary closure of the departures lobby at Terminal 1, causing widespread disruption to air travel.
According to aircraft tracking website FlightAware, at least 432 flights were delayed, the majority of them arrivals, while 26 flights were cancelled, Xinhua news agency reported. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said incoming flights were facing average delays of nearly one hour and 44 minutes due to adverse weather conditions and high winds.
In a separate incident, the departures lobby at Terminal 1 was closed for over an hour on Friday morning following what airport officials described as “police activity.” The terminal reopened at around 10:45 a.m. local time.
Local media reports said Terminal 1 was evacuated at approximately 8 a.m. after San Francisco police discovered a “suspicious package.” No further details were immediately available.
Issuing a travel advisory, the airport warned passengers of continued traffic congestion around the terminals. “There is still heavy roadway congestion, so give yourself extra time getting to the airport and consider dropping off at the International Terminal and taking AirTrain,” SFO said in a statement.
Airport authorities also advised departing passengers using Terminal 1 without checked baggage to use alternative terminals and less congested security checkpoints, noting that all gates remain accessible via inter-terminal walkways.