The Federal Aviation Administration began holding some San Francisco-bound flights at their departure airports at 7 a.m. Pacific on Monday, Nov. 9. The FAA advisory listed delays averaging 63 minutes, with a maximum assigned delay of 145 minutes. The program was scheduled to run until 1:59 p.m. Pacific.
The agency cited low cloud ceilings and flagged low visibility as an additional constraint. The National Weather Service’s Bay Area aviation forecast had flagged the possibility of low ceilings near San Francisco International Airport overnight.
At 7:34 a.m. Pacific, the FAA warned of arrival holding and possible intermittent ground stops for aircraft affected by the low visibility. That advisory listed a window through 10 a.m. Pacific. The FAA also activated a procedure to help diverted flights return to SFO, with that window scheduled through 11 a.m. Pacific. The advisories did not announce an airport-wide ground stop or say how many flights had diverted.
Which flights are affected
The FAA program covers arrivals at San Francisco International Airport from airports in the contiguous United States. The FAA listed no Canadian departure airports in the program. A ground delay program meters arrivals by assigning departure times to affected flights. The published average describes the program as a whole, so individual flights can see shorter or longer waits.
If you are flying into SFO or connecting there, check your flight number with your airline before you leave for the airport. The FAA’s National Airspace System dashboard shows changes to the airport-wide program. For a tight connection at SFO, check your airline’s app for the latest arrival time and any available rebooking options.
