Travelers at the San Diego International Airport had to alter their travel plans Friday night after extremely dense fog led to the cancellation of dozens of flights.
Southwest Airlines cancelled nearly all flights scheduled for 5:40 p.m. and later. Passengers planning to travel Friday night had to re-book their flights for Saturday or another day.
Delta Airlines also cancelled several departing flights, while American Airlines and Spirit were also forced to delay outbound evening flights due to fog.
Some inbound flights via American, Delta and Southwest were also cancelled or delayed.
According to the National Weather Service (NWS), a dense fog advisory was issued from 5 p.m. Friday through 9 a.m. Saturday.
The NWS said the dense fog would likely impact travel along local freeways and at coastal airports, including San Diego’s Lindbergh Field.
Visibility is expected to drop to a quarter-mile or less – potentially even to 100 feet -- especially along the beaches and coast, according to the NWS.
At the San Diego Airport, travelers were very disappointed over the cancellations, especially during this long Thanksgiving weekend.
“Unbelievable! I came to San Diego for sun and I got to get on my flight and it’s totally socked in,” Bay Area resident Karen Katz told NBC 7 at the airport.
For one family, boarding their flight from San Diego to Sacramento was incredibly important.
Al Arciniaga said his daughter was getting married Saturday at 10 a.m. When all possible flights upstate were grounded, he said his family would have to resort to a backup plan to make it in time for his daughter's big day.
“[We’ve tried to get flights through] L.A., Burbank and Ontario, so we’re going to have to drive up to Sacramento tonight,” he said.
His wife, Shauna Arciniaga, said the last-minute road trip would be worth it.
Local
“As long as we make it in time, as long as we’re able to be there for the wedding,” she added.
For a full list of Lindbergh Field flight information, click here.
On Saturday morning, the San Diego Airport Authority confirmed that 52 flights were impacted between 8:30 p.m. Friday night and 7:50 a.m. Saturday. There were 26 cancellations for arrivals, four delays and eight diversions. For departures, there were 10 flights cancelled and four delayed, the San Diego Airport Authority said.
Check back for updates.
