Hundreds of flights at San Francisco International Airport faced delays and cancellations because of strong winds and the closure of the departures lobby at Terminal 1. According to FlightAware, 432 flights were delayed, mainly arrivals, with 26 flights canceled on Friday. The Federal Aviation Administration reported that arriving flights were delayed by an average of one hour and 44 minutes due to adverse weather conditions and high winds.
The departures lobby at Terminal 1 was shut down for over an hour on Friday morning due to what airport officials termed as “police activity.” It was reopened around 10:45 a.m. local time. Terminal 1 was evacuated after the discovery of a “suspicious package” by San Francisco police at 8 a.m. local time, as per local media reports. No further details were provided about the incident.
The airport advised travelers to account for heavy roadway congestion and allocate extra time for reaching the airport. They suggested dropping off passengers at the International Terminal and using the AirTrain due to the congestion. Departing passengers without checked luggage at Terminal 1 were directed to be dropped off at other terminals, where less crowded security checkpoints could be accessed, connecting to all gates via walkways.
