Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect the incident occurred on Thursday, May 14, 2026.

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — Flights into and out of San Diego International Airport (SAN) were temporarily halted after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a ground stop tied to a security-related issue Thursday morning.

According to the FAA’s National Airspace System dashboard, the ground stop at SAN began at 7:51 a.m. and was originally scheduled to remain in effect until 9:15 a.m.

The FAA advisory cited “security” as the reason for the stoppage.

Semi truck rollover shuts down multiple lanes on I-5 near Camp Pendleton

The advisory impacted flights departing for San Diego from several regional air traffic control centers across the western United States, including Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, Denver, Oakland and Albuquerque.

FAA data shows the stoppage was expected to cause significant delays, with projected average delays of about 32 minutes and maximum delays reaching more than an hour.

The FAA also noted there was a “medium” probability the ground stop could be extended, though the advisory was lifted by 8:15 a.m.

FOX 5/KUSI reached out to SAN officials for comment, with a public information officer confirming that “operations are back to normal.”

San Diego Harbor Police later confirmed the incident stemmed from three people who exited Terminal 1 for what was described as “a smoke break” around 6:30 a.m. They reentered from the way they exited, which officials say is not a permitted entrance.

This triggered security alarms and prompted authorities to briefly screen the three prospective travelers, who were then denied boarding and issued citations.

Travelers flying through SAN are encouraged to check directly with their airlines for the latest flight information and possible delays.

Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News.