Police Incident and High Winds Cause Major SFO Flight Delays

December 26, 2025 at 05:56 PM•2 min read

San Francisco International Airport (SFO) faced massive post-Christmas travel disruption after a Terminal 1 police incident compounded an existing FAA ground delay program, causing

Key Points

1A suspicious package incident closed San Francisco International Airport's (SFO) Terminal 1 departures lobby for over two hours on December 26, 2025.
2The security scare compounded an existing FAA ground delay program, which was in place due to strong winds and limited SFO arrivals to 25-28 flights per hour.
3The combined incidents resulted in over 200 flight delays and more than 20 cancellations, with average delays reaching approximately 98 minutes.
4The police investigation deemed the package safe, and the terminal reopened, but heavy congestion and cascading delays persisted throughout the day.

San Francisco International Airport (SFO) experienced significant holiday travel disruption on December 26, 2025. This chaos stemmed from a dual operational challenge. A police incident involving a suspicious package incident temporarily closed a key terminal area. This security event compounded an existing FAA ground delay program already limiting air traffic.

Terminal Evacuation and Security Response

The incident began early in the morning at the Harvey Milk Terminal 1 departures lobby. Airport officials announced the closure due to police activity SFO on social media. The San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) responded to the scene around 8:15 a.m.. They evacuated the area to investigate the unattended item.

The SFPD's Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit was called in. Passengers were directed to the International Terminal for security screening. Airlines operating out of Terminal 1, including American Airlines, Alaska, JetBlue, and Sun Country, were impacted. The package was eventually deemed safe by police. The Terminal 1 evacuation was fully resolved, and the terminal reopened around 10:30 a.m..

Compounding Regulatory and Weather Delays

The security scare occurred amid a pre-existing operational challenge. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had already implemented a FAA ground delay program. This program was necessary due to strong winds affecting the Bay Area. The wind-related restrictions limited arrivals at SFO.

Arrivals were capped at 25 flights per hour, later increasing to 28. This regulatory action was in effect from Thursday into Friday. The combination of events caused significant travel chaos. The average delay for arriving flights reached approximately 98 minutes. Wind delays were expected to continue until midnight. This highlights the fragile nature of airport operations during peak periods.

Widespread Travel Disruption

Reports indicated the disruption resulted in a massive number of SFO flight delays. Local news reported over 190 delays and about 20 cancellations. Other tracking services showed more than 400 flights delayed and 26 cancellations. This post-Christmas travel chaos affected thousands of travelers.

Passengers expressed deep frustration over the uncertainty. One traveler noted the difficulty of holding it together while facing a missed international connection. The incident underscores the importance of robust airport security protocols. It also reveals how quickly a localized event can cascade across the air network. For more updates on commercial aviation news and industry trends, visit flying.flights.