Hundreds of flights at San Francisco International Airport faced delays Thursday as strong winds and winter weather disrupted holiday travel.
The Federal Aviation Administration issued a ground delay program under the United States Domestic Program, limiting arrivals to 25 flights per hour and later increasing the rate to 28 flights per hour from Thursday into Friday. The program affects all domestic flights and select routes from Canada.
A ground delay program requires aircraft to delay their departures to and from SFO to keep air traffic at safe levels during adverse weather conditions.
Nearly 200 flights had already been delayed as of Christmas Day morning, according to flight-tracking website FlightAware, while only a small number had been canceled. Strong winds at the Bay Area’s busiest airport continued to impact operations, where more than 900 flights were scheduled to arrive and depart throughout the day.
Data from aircraft-tracking website FlightRadar24 showed the average delay was about 24 minutes as of 11 a.m., but the FAA advisory warned delays could worsen later in the day. Average delays were expected to approach two hours, with maximum delays reaching up to three hours.
Nearby Bay Area airports in Oakland and San Jose remained largely unaffected by the winter weather.
Passengers are encouraged to check with their airlines for the latest flight information.