SFO Flight Chaos: Strong Winds and Security Scare Snarl Hundreds of Flights

Hundreds of flights faced significant delays and cancellations at San Francisco International Airport (SFO). This massive disruption occurred on Friday, December 26, 2025. Two separate incidents combined to create widespread travel chaos.

Dual Disruptions Cripple SFO Operations

The primary cause was severe weather conditions. Strong winds and high-speed gusts forced the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to implement a ground delay program. This program limits the number of aircraft that can land safely. The restrictions were imposed to maintain safe air traffic levels.

FlightAware data confirmed the scale of the disruption. A total of 432 flights were delayed on Friday. Most of these were inbound arrivals. Additionally, 26 flights were canceled. The FAA reported that arriving flights experienced an average delay of one hour and 44 minutes. This is equivalent to 104 minutes of waiting time. The ground delay program was scheduled to last until midnight. The average delay for arriving flights was also cited at 98 minutes by other sources.

Terminal Evacuation Adds to Congestion

Compounding the weather issues was a security incident. The departures lobby at Terminal 1 was closed for over an hour. This closure followed what officials called “police activity”. Local media reported that the terminal was evacuated around 8 a.m. local time. This was due to the discovery of a suspicious package by San Francisco police. The terminal reopened at approximately 10:45 a.m. local time. Terminal 1 serves major carriers like Southwest Airlines and American Airlines. The evacuation added to the intense roadway congestion around the airport.

Impact on Airlines and Passengers

This disruption occurred during one of the busiest travel periods. Aviation analytics firm Cirium estimated over 1,000 flights were scheduled. This made it a peak holiday travel day.

• United Airlines, which uses SFO as its West Coast hub, accounted for a large portion of the delays.
• Other carriers like Delta, American, Alaska, JetBlue, and SkyWest also saw cancellations.
• The ground delay program affected domestic flights and some routes from Canada.

Airport officials issued a travel advisory for passengers. They urged travelers to allow extra time for arrival. They also suggested dropping off at the International Terminal and using the AirTrain. Departing passengers without checked luggage were advised to use less congested security checkpoints in other terminals. All gates are accessible via walkways. The combination of weather and security incidents highlights the fragile nature of airport operations during peak times.

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