Officials reopened a terminal lobby at San Francisco International Airport after police activity closed it for two hours Friday morning.
The airport closed Terminal 1’s departures-level lobby due to an unattended item, an airport representative said. Police responded to the terminal at 8:15 a.m. and evacuated the area. Officials directed departing passengers without checked luggage to use security checkpoints at the international terminal instead.
As of 10:40 a.m., the terminal and all ticket counters were open, according to the airport’s social media accounts. Roadway traffic, which saw heavy congestion, was being diverted to the international terminal and the airport’s AirTran system.
SFO had instructed passengers flying JetBlue, American Airlines, and Sun Country to contact the airlines for guidance.
The closure compounded an already difficult morning for travelers. The Federal Aviation Administration implemented ground delays affecting all departures from and arrivals to SFO due to wind conditions. Flights were delayed an average of 98 minutes. The delay program, which began at 8:30 a.m., was scheduled to remain in effect until 11:59 p.m.
FlightAware data showed 308 delays and 23 cancellations at the airport Friday morning. All delayed and canceled flights were domestic.
The FAA applied the delays to departures from air traffic control centers across the continental U.S. and parts of Canada. All departing aircraft were receiving expected departure clearance times.