San Diego Airport Flights Diverted Due to Storm

Travel plans for thousands of passengers were disrupted on New Year's Day after a rainstorm hit San Diego. The severe weather caused significant operational issues at San Diego International Airport, leading to a high volume of flight cancellations, delays, and diversions.

Data indicates that approximately 40 flights destined for the airport were forced to land elsewhere. Additionally, 53 flights were canceled and nearly 270 experienced delays. The primary causes cited were localized flooding and an equipment outage affecting air traffic control systems.

San Diego International Airport faced a chaotic start to the new year as a rainstorm battered the region. The combination of rising water levels and technical failures created a backlog of air traffic that rippled through the schedule.

Flight tracking data from Flightradar24 revealed that 40 flights originally scheduled to land in San Diego on January 1 diverted to other airports. The situation required intervention from air traffic control, which activated a specific recovery tool to assist planes in reaching their intended destinations amidst the chaos.

According to data from FlightAware, the total impact was substantial:

• 53 flights were completely canceled.
• Nearly 270 flights were delayed.
• Approximately 40% of all flights were behind schedule.

The airport issued a statement noting that the weather was the primary cause of the delays, with some nearby roads closing due to flooding. The disruption occurred despite the airport's status as the third-busiest in California, having handled over 25 million passengers in 2024.

Several specific flights highlighted the difficulties travelers faced during the storm. The disruptions varied in duration and the distance passengers had to travel before reaching their final destination.

International Diversion

Japan Airlines Flight 66, a Boeing 787, experienced a significant detour. After a roughly 10-hour flight from Tokyo, the plane circled San Diego before diverting to Los Angeles, a city just a 30-minute flight away. The aircraft remained on the ground in Los Angeles for just over two hours before completing the short hop to San Diego.

Domestic Delays

Southwest Airlines passengers faced unique inconveniences. Flight 3138, departing from Sacramento, spent an hour circling north of Los Angeles before returning to its origin. Passengers effectively took a two-hour flight to nowhere before eventually re-departing and reaching San Diego about five hours behind schedule.

Another Southwest flight, originating from Baltimore, spent an hour circling just west of Phoenix before landing there. The plane remained on the ground for over three hours before continuing to San Diego, arriving roughly five hours late.

Private Aviation

While commercial flights struggled, two private jets flying from Colorado ski resorts managed to land relatively close to their destination. These were the only aircraft able to land at McClellan-Palomar Airport in northern San Diego County.

The disruption was formally attributed to an equipment outage by an air traffic control advisory, compounded by the severe weather conditions. The airport's social media posts confirmed that the weather was causing delays and that flooding had closed nearby roads.

Despite the eventual arrival of many diverted flights, the day proved frustrating for travelers. The Federal Aviation Administration and the airport itself did not immediately respond to requests for comment sent outside of US working hours. Similarly, airlines such as Southwest Airlines had not provided immediate comment regarding the specific operational challenges faced by their flights.